TO: TRANSPORTATION AND FROM: John Ristow
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: CITY STREET SWEEPING DATE: November 16, 2022
STATUS REPORT
Approved Date
11/23/22
RECOMMENDATION
Accept this status update on street sweeping operations.
BACKGROUND
City streets are designed to convey water to curbs and gutters, and then to storm drains which discharge untreated water into local creeks and the San Francisco Bay. The 1972 Clean Water Act initiated the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to protect these waterways and mitigate potential pollution via stormwater discharge. The San Francisco Bay Area Regional Water Quality Control Board is the regulatory agency that issues permits to most local agencies in the Bay Area, including the City of San José. Street sweeping is included as a best practice requirement in the stormwater discharge permit issued to San José. In accordance with this permit, the primary mission of the street sweeping program is to prevent pollutants such as sediment, nutrients (e.g., fertilizers and animal waste), toxic metals, and organic materials from entering storm drains and polluting waterways.
Street sweeping in San José is delivered using a hybrid model employing both “in house” and contractual services. This hybrid model allows the Department of Transportation (DOT) to costeffectively and flexibly deploy resources 24-hours per day as required. Sweeper operators employed by the City sweep the downtown area, neighborhood business districts, and major streets including arterials, connectors and bikeways. This team is also able to respond to urgent matters by providing clean up services after fires, vehicle crashes, or civil unrest. Most neighborhood streets are swept by Green Waste Recovery Inc. (GreenWaste) contracted by the City to provide both solid waste collection and residential street sweeping services.
In addition to street sweeper operators, staff within several DOT divisions and sections perform key street sweeping related functions as described below:
• The Infrastructure Maintenance Division’s Residential Street Sweeping program has inspectors who ensure satisfactory contractor performance and sweeps and investigate complaints/service requests
T&E AGENDA: 12/5/2022
ITEM: (d) 5
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Subject: City Street Sweeping Status Report
• The Infrastructure Maintenance Division’s Traffic Maintenance Section houses staff who install and maintain parking prohibition signs
• The Transportation Safety, Operations & Parking Division’s On-Street Parking Management Section has parking enforcement staff who monitor compliance with posted signs along signed routes (approximately 550 or 13.2% of miles) The Environmental Services Department (ESD) also plays a significant role in street sweeping.
The ESD Watershed Protection Division oversees permitting and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and coordinates with DOT to meet trash reduction targets related to the stormwater discharge permit. The contract with GreenWaste is managed by the ESD Integrated Waste Management Division.
The roles and responsibilities for this program are shown in Figure 1 below:
Environmental
Services Department
Department of
Transportation
Watershed
Protection
Integrated Waste
Management
Stormwater Compliance
and Planning Contract Management
Transportation &
Parking
Operations
Information
Technology
Parking Enforcement Mapping and Data
Infrastructure
Maintenance
Traffic Sign
Maintenance
Residential Inspection Services
1 Sr. Construction Inspector
2 Assoc. Construction Inspector
Residential Street Sweeping by
GreenWaste
Street Sweeper Supervisors
Street Sweeper Operators
Commercial Street Sweeping
and Inspection by DOT Staff
1 Sr. Maintenance Worker
1 Maintenance Worker II
5 Street Sweeper Operators
Figure 1: Street Sweeping Organization Chart
Source: Audit team analysis of departmental organization structures
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Subject: City Street Sweeping Status Report
ANALYSIS
Program Management
DOT is responsible for providing or overseeing the sweeping of 67,000 miles of curb each year between the in-house and contractual street sweeping programs. Of this total, DOT sweeper operators have the goal of sweeping approximately 31,000 miles, representing 46% of overall program production. The residential sweeping program is responsible for sweeping approximately 36,000 miles, representing 54% of overall program production. The street sweeping program has two distinct branches: in-house and the RSS programs.
Frequency and Route Distinctions
The frequency of street sweeping varies by road classification. Some areas receive more frequent sweeps than others due to higher levels of traffic that produce higher levels of pollutants which must be prevented from reaching the bay. The frequency of routes is defined as follows:
• Downtown: Monday-Thursday during graveyard shift
• Neighborhood Business Districts (NBD): Twice per week, during graveyard shift • Arterials, Connectors, and Bikeways (ACB): Twice per month, during graveyard shift • Residential (RSS): Once per month, day shift service provided by GreenWaste as outlined in the contract which expires in 2036
In recognition of the growing importance of biking as a climate-friendly transportation alternative and to ensure safer facilities for users as the amount of bike lanes increases, DOT plans to sweep bikeways on a more frequent twice a week schedule. To facilitate this, DOT is working with the Public Works Department to purchase a second smaller sweeper to provide better coverage and continuity of service. DOT expects to receive the additional sweeper by Spring 2024. DOT will continue to refine and improve service delivery as this infrastructure grows.
Residents and businesses can look up their sweep day at: www.sjenvironment.org/lookup.
Questions can also be directed to the Street Sweeping Section at (408) 794-1920. The workflows of the respective programs are described below. The workflows of the respective programs are described below.
City Street Sweeping Crew (In-House)
The in-house street sweeping team provides street sweeping service during the graveyard shift to areas where cars are not expected to be parked overnight. The program is staffed by a graveyard shift supervisor, a senior maintenance worker, five sweeper operators and a maintenance worker.
A sixth sweeper operator will be hired in January 2023. The sweeper operators complete one route per night, Monday through Thursday, leaving Friday as a make-up day for routes or portions of routes that are missed for various reasons including staff being away on vacation or
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Subject: City Street Sweeping Status Report
sick leave. All City-owned vehicles are equipped with Verizon Telematics technology, which tracks the vehicles and creates a visual map of traveled routes. Figure 2 below provides a sample screenshot of how the in-house team uses the Telematics record to confirm route completion.
Senior maintenance workers evaluate sweeping effectiveness through visual route inspections because the technology does not provide data granular enough to determine how close a sweeper was to the curb.
Figure 2. Telematics Screenshot of Completed In-House Sweeping Route As proposed in an open audit recommendation and discussed below, DOT is in the process of procuring sweep waste bins and a hook-lift truck to facilitate the staging of swept debris until it can be hauled to its final disposal site. Procurement of this equipment has been delayed due to supply chain issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to be delivered by June 2024. The maintenance worker has been hired and will be primarily responsible for this task, but until the equipment arrives, this employee is assisting with route inspections and special cleanups. The senior maintenance and maintenance workers operate a sweeper to pick up debris if found during inspections. The team also responds to special requests for debris pickup overnight, typically from the Police and Fire departments in the wake of crashes, fires, civil unrest, and other miscellaneous circumstances.
Residential Street Sweeping
Residential streets are swept once per month by GreenWaste. The residential sweeping program is staffed by three City employees: one senior construction inspector and two associate construction inspectors, who monitor the residential routes for completion and effectiveness of the contracted sweepers. The majority of sweeping issues and community complaints are related to conditions in the field such as parked cars and low-hanging trees. Inspection staff will contact property owners and inform them how to get their street trees pruned properly with a DOT issued permit. Inspectors are also able to assist with any issues related to placement of yard waste and other garbage or recycling collection issues. The inspection team utilizes tablets to log route
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Subject: City Street Sweeping Status Report
completion data and identify field conditions that are used to generate reports leading to corrective action. The virtual inspection form with visual aid is provided as Attachment A.
In addition to performing sweeping inspections, the senior construction inspector coordinates with the residential sweeping contractor to address deficiencies. If a sweeping route is not completed, this inspector can redirect the contractor to perform a follow up sweep. This inspector is primarily responsible for tracking complaints and assigning inspection staff to locations on sweep days to identify sweeping issues, and also responds to requests for “enhanced sweeps” which are described later in this memorandum.
Program Performance
DOT assesses program performance using the following core service measures and activity highlights which are reported annually during the budget process as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Street Sweeping Performance Measures and Activity Highlights 19-20
Actual
20-21
Actual
21-22
Actual
22-23
Target
% of swept curb miles rated by City as good or better
based upon effectiveness and satisfaction with street
appearance (4 or greater on a 1-5 scale)
53% 44% 51% 75%
% of customers rating street sweeping services good or
better based upon effectiveness and satisfaction with street appearance (4 or greater on a 1-5 scale) *
46% 38% 44% 55%
# curb miles swept 60,908 58,658 60,391 67,000
Thousands of tons of sweeping debris collected 4.76 4.5 5.0 9.0 * ESD conducts a resident survey once every two years (Residential Garbage and Recycling Survey). The most recent Survey was conducted in winter 2022.
Inspection and maintenance staff spot check sweeping routes every day and utilize the inspection sheet shown in Attachment A to report on the effectiveness of the sweep. Results are then aggregated to determine the overall percentage of streets rated as “very good” or better as shown in the first measure above. A lower score is most frequently attributable to conditions preventing the sweeper from accessing the curb line, and less often indicative of poor contractor or sweeper performance. Survey data shown in the second measure is provided every other year from the Residential Garbage and Recycling Survey, administered by ESD.
The final two rows are program outputs. DOT and its contractors have a goal of sweeping 67,000 miles per year. DOT’s completion rate increased from 85% in 2020-2021 to an estimated 90% in 2021-2022. DOT still faces staffing and equipment challenges which are exacerbated by supply chain issues for vehicles and is anticipated to impact DOT’s ability to achieve the estimated target of 100% for 2022-2023. Although street sweeping is not primarily a waste disposal service, debris collected can be correlated with the ability of the sweeper to access the curb line.
The measures and activity numbers reported above cannot tell the entire story with respect to
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Subject: City Street Sweeping Status Report
street sweeping effectiveness and efficiency, but collectively they provide staff with useful data to guide program management and response decisions.
Street Sweeping Audit: Significant Investment and Re-Tooling Required The February 2016 City Auditor’s Office audited the effectiveness and efficiency of street sweeping services and includes 14 recommendations to improve sweeping operations1 .
DOT and ESD have fully implemented all but one of the recommendations. The remaining recommendation related to using bins for sweep waste will be implemented once the hook-lift truck and bins are received (anticipated in June 2024).
A significant finding of the Auditor’s Office report is that street sweeping operations are under-resourced. This finding was reached through a comparative analysis of San José with nearby cities, as well as an analysis of performance data and objectives. Street sweeping operations are almost exclusively funded through the Storm Sewer Operating Fund (Fund 446). This special revenue fund accounts for revenues collected from owners of properties that benefit from the storm drainage system. Funds may only be used for maintenance and operation of the storm drainage system, as well as non-point source pollution reduction activities, including street sweeping.
The City Auditor’s 2016 report estimated that the in-house program required an additional $805,000 for additional sweeper operators and street sweeper vehicles, to successfully sweep its routes as assigned. Since the audit, DOT has requested and received funding to implement several audit recommendations. One-time funding of $287,000 was received for sweeper operator overtime, street sweeping sign installation, and purchase of a hook lift truck and bins.
DOT was also able to secure $284,000 in ongoing funding to hire 3.0 FTE and cover ongoing costs of supplies and maintenance of new equipment purchased. In the FY 22-23 budget process, DOT was able to secure $455,000 for an additional FTE and sweeper to focus on bike lanes and difficult to reach areas. However, one additional sweeper operator and vehicle are still needed to provide the level of staffing recommended by the City Auditor to enable the in-house team to satisfactorily complete their assigned curb miles.
Common Impediments to Sweeping
The audit also discussed several obstacles that prevent both in-house and contracted street sweeping crews from performing complete and satisfactory sweeps. Of these, parked cars are the most frequently occurring and impactful obstacles. For every parked car, the sweeper is unable to sweep approximately three car lengths of curb line due to maneuverability constraints of the sweeper. In San José, signs that prohibit parking during scheduled street sweeping cover only
13.2 % of curb miles. There are several reasons for this, including additional contract costs, additional enforcement costs, and lack of public support due to parking impacts in neighborhoods with limited nearby parking options.
1 2016 Street Sweeping Audit - https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=33868
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Subject: City Street Sweeping Status Report
Other barriers to street sweeping include yard waste piles, waste containers, and low-hanging tree branches. Loose-in-the-street yard waste can be especially challenging for street sweepers because piles of landscape debris can hide items that may damage the sweeper or act as a projectile and harm nearby residents. For these reasons, if a sweeper encounters a pile of landscape debris it will drive away from the curb to avoid it. DOT sometimes receives complaints regarding landscape waste and debris; however, it is important to note that per the municipal code, property owners are responsible for ensuring their curb lines are clear.
Sweepers must also avoid low-hanging trees, those with branches within 14 feet of the street pavement. At this level, sweepers will hit branches, resulting in damaged equipment and compromised trees. Property owners are also responsible for ensuring tree clearance, and DOT operators and inspectors utilize an online inspection tool to document and address these impediments.
Sweeping Remediation Tools
When sweeping issues need to be addressed before the next scheduled sweep, DOT has some remediation tools that can provide relief to the neighborhood. If parking is severely impacting a residential sweeping route, GreenWaste can distribute trilingual flyers (English, Spanish, and Vietnamese) on windshields of parked cars in two neighborhoods per month to encourage compliance from residents. Additionally, the inspectors in the residential sweeping program will leave door hangers to notify properties that have been identified as a source of an obstruction.
If curbs have a significant amount of buildup that sweepers cannot address, DOT has previously dispatched staff from the San José Bridge program (SJ Bridge) to clear the gutter area. This action provides immediate relief for the neighborhood and allows the inspection team time to address and follow up on issues, such as low-hanging trees. DOT is consulting with the Housing Department and Goodwill, who is the service provider for SJ Bridge to ensure this resource will continue to be available as demand has increased.
Enhanced sweeps can also be used to address areas that can range from two to three miles in length that have not been receiving effective street sweeping. Enhanced sweeps must be scheduled well in advance due to required coordination with the parking compliance unit.
Notices are placed on A-frame barricades throughout the sweep area and set out 24 hours prior to the sweep to inform residents that their vehicles need to be moved prior to the sweep. DOT deploys parking compliance officers to go door-to-door to contact residents to move vehicles, but in extreme cases where the vehicle owner is not found, parking compliance officers facilitate the towing and removal of remaining vehicles. The contract with GreenWaste allows for up to 20 enhanced sweeps per year, an 80% increase from 2016 when the audit was performed.
Parking Prohibition Signs
The most significant and long-term form of sweeping remediation consists of the installation and enforcement of parking prohibition signs. Residents, neighborhood groups, and councilmembers can request signage in neighborhoods. All requests are considered, and DOT inspectors’ field-
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Subject: City Street Sweeping Status Report
verify the need for signs based on their assessments of parking impacts. Following the 2016 audit, DOT received funding to add limited signage throughout the City, resulting in 46 miles of added routes. As of October 2022, there are 13 requests for new locations in the queue, down from 70 listed in the audit report. Currently, there is no funding to expand signage in the city, but when funding is available DOT will consider installing signs in those areas where at least 40% of curb miles are impacted by parked cars. If an area exceeds the parking impact threshold of 40%, additional considerations determine if parking prohibition signs should be installed, and the priority of their installation. These include neighborhood support, compliance, and contractual and enforcement cost increases which can vary depending on the location of the signed routes.
Once parking prohibition signs are installed, DOT deploys parking compliance officers to enforce street sweeping parking prohibitions. In San José, parking prohibition signs prohibit parking for up to five hours. Limiting street sweeping to strict timeframes presents logistical challenges and raises costs because it limits the flexibility of when a street can be swept from a 24-hour window to a much narrower window, which necessitates more precise routing. In addition, one-time equipment and labor are needed to install the signs. DOT estimates that the one-time installation of 100 curb miles of parking prohibition signs is approximately $781,000.
This estimate accounts for one-time costs for the procurement and installation of signs. Signed curb miles also cost more for the contractor to sweep, so the RSS program will require an additional ongoing cost of $36,000 to sweep the newly signed areas. This cost is subject to change and is likely to increase in accordance with the Refuse Rate Index similar to a Consumer Price Index. Significant ongoing costs to provide inspection services to the routes and parking enforcement would add further substantial ongoing costs, which could be partially offset by citation revenue, but more information is required to provide a detailed cost estimate for these services.
CONCLUSION
The street sweeping program has made significant progress by implementing new technologies and processes, but fundamental challenges with respect to funding, equipment, and staffing remain. Furthermore, as new infrastructure such as bike lanes and green infrastructure are installed, the program must adapt to maintenance needs and concerns accompanying these needed updates. DOT will continue to collaborate with ESD to assess these issues, quantify gaps and needs in service, and seek to address them both by improving internal processes and outlining additional resource needs in future budget cycles. Like many infrastructure programs, street sweeping can be overlooked when compared to other large or high-profile City initiatives.
However, the residents of San José have indicated that this is an important program and DOT is committed to providing a more efficient and effective service.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Environmental Services Department, the City Attorney’s Office, and the City Manager’s Budget Office.
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
November 16, 2022
Subject: City Street Sweeping Status Report
/s/
John Ristow
Director of Transportation
For questions, please contact Rick Scott, Deputy Director, (408) 794-1925.
Attachment