Watch the video above: Street sweeping blitz beginning
SASKATOON – As the temperature finally begins to feel more like spring and the snow is disappearing from Saskatoon roads, what lies beneath is exposed. A long winters’ worth of sand is stirring up dust and prompting officials to send out the street sweepers en masse.
Monday will mark the beginning of the city’s street sweeping program, according to Public Works Director Pat Hyde.
“When we’re picking up that debris off the streets, we’re also picking up the debris that’s on the medians and boulevards,” said Hyde.
A large 7.29 per cent increase to property taxes means extra money for road maintenance. An extra $605,000 is dedicated to street sweeping.
Light rain on Friday helped but that doesn’t mean the dust has settled on memories from gritty days earlier this week according to residents.
“There’s times that cars pass and you get a good whiff of dust right in your face,” said one man.
In 2013, many neighbourhoods weren’t swept until the end of June, others well into July. Additional contracting crews this year should quicken the process, according to Hyde.
“When we get through the program and if it starts when we intend, if weather holds through…we’ll be finished that by the middle of June.”
Between April 14 and May 5, the blitz is intended as an early, quick run through.
The next six weeks will be a full sweep, with the city planning to clear all dirt from curb to curb. During this time parking enforcement will be implemented.
Also beginning Monday is the spring pothole blitz. Tons of temporary cold mix asphalt has already been applied to streets and now that temperatures are warmer, the hot mix asphalt can be used.
Crews will start with priority 1 streets but people are still encouraged to report potholes on residential streets to the city’s ‘report a pothole map’ on the its website.
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