INTRODUCTION

street-sweeper3Street sweeping is provided by Milpitas Sanitation. Please call Milpitas Sanitation at (408) 988-4500 for your neighborhood’s schedule.

Residential streets are swept twice a month on the weekday after your garbage collection day (e.g.: Tuesday Collection, Wednesday Sweeping). There are some exceptions for holidays. Commercial streets are swept weekly. Call City of Milpitas Public Works staff at (408) 586-2600 for questions and concerns regarding street sweeping.

Street sweeping is an important part of keeping the streets clean but that’s not the only reason that it’s important. When litter and debris accumulate on the streets, it adds to blight to neighborhoods that can degrade how a neighborhood looks, which can attract illegal dumping. Litter and debris can also get into the storm drains, where it would negatively impact wildlife and the health of the waterways (e.g.: rivers, creeks, streams). A clean street is good for both the neighborhood and the waterways.

STREET SWEEPING DAY GUIDELINES

Over 14,300 curb miles are swept annually in Milpitas! Help keep our city streets clean and protect our creeks by following these simple street sweeping guidelines.

  • Keep cars off street from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. on sweeping day. Vehicles parked on the street can block the sweeper’s ability to sweep the curb (curb access). Not having curb access allows litter and other debris to accumulate and eventually enter the storm drain, local creeks and the San Francisco Bay.
  • Put your yard trimmings in the Green Cart. Use your green cart for leaves, branches, plants and grass clippings. The sweeper can only remove piles less than 3 inches tall and 12 inches wide.
  • Fall / Winter Leaf Clean-up: Fall is a beautiful time of year – until all the leaves drop from the trees! Set out leaves and branches in your green cart every week to keep these materials out of storm drains. In targeted neighborhoods, streets are swept for excess leaves once a week during the months of November and December. You will receive notification from the City of Milpitas if you live in one of these neighborhoods with excess leaves.
  • Street Sweeping Schedule and routes. All street sweeping schedules and routes are maintained by Milpitas Sanitation (MSI). Learn more at their website: https://www.milpitassanitation.com/sweeperdays/
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Who provides street sweeping services and how do I contact them with questions and concerns?

Street Sweeping Services are provided by MSI; they can be contacted directly at (408) 988-4500. Street sweeping services are NOT conducted by City of Milpitas staff. If there is something that you wish to bring to the City’s attention, you can contact the Solid Waste Team at MilpitasRecycles@milpitas.gov

Why can’t I park on the street on my street sweeping day?

There is a lot of area to cover for the street sweeper so the time that the sweeper arrives in your neighborhood may change from week to week. If the vehicles are not moved, then the street sweeper cannot sweep the gutter (curb). Litter and debris by the curb will be washed down the storm drain and negatively impact our environment. However. after the sweeper comes through a neighborhood, you are more than welcome to resume parking on the street; just give it a chance to clean the area first.

I saw the street sweeper driving at 25 mph with the brooms up. Why isn’t it sweeping my neighborhood?

The street sweeper vehicle(s) have a lot of ground to cover and may be on its way to another neighborhood area. If it was not driving at 5 mph with the brooms down, then it may not be your neighborhood’s street sweeping day. You can double check your street sweeping schedule at MSI’s website: https://www.milpitassanitation.com/sweeperdays/

Why did the street sweeper park for a few minutes in my neighborhood and then drive off?

There may be two reasons for this. The first is that everyone, including the drivers of the vehicles, are required to take breaks per California’s Meal and Break law. The second is that the driver may be reviewing the sweeping routes before moving onto the next area.

Can I put leaves out for the street sweeper to pick up?

No, please put your leaves into the green cart/bin. The street sweepers cannot pick up large piles of leaves; the vehicle is designed to pick up smaller debris and if it comes into contact with the pile of leaves, it will spread the leaves all over the street. There is a special leaf clean-up conducted by MSI during the Fall/Winter to specifically handle this issue.

Street Sweeping Pilot

The City is running a pilot program, beginning on March 1st, which uses signage to make sure that vehicles are moved so that the streets can be properly cleaned. There are four residential neighborhoods in the pilot. City and/or Milpitas Sanitation Inc. (MSI) staff may be seen in your neighborhood collecting data during the pilot to gauge the progress of the program. Learn more about the pilot program here.