Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced today that the City of Boston will launch an early spring cleaning program for City streets. Spring officially starts tomorrow and so will Boston’s street cleaning program - ten days earlier than scheduled. This year, Mayor Menino is encouraging residents and business owners to sweep out the dirt and debris from in front of their homes or business and let City sweepers wipe it clean as they pass by on street cleaning day. The City will coordinate with neighborhood Main Street business districts to clean up local shopping districts and promote clean areas for foot traffic along our busy thoroughfares citywide.

“It’s been a long and snowy winter, and I can’t wait to start spring cleaning in the City of Boston,” Mayor Menino said. “This is a great time for residents to give the City a hand in brightening our neighborhoods. We’ll pick it up if you make an effort to put it out.”

The schedule for the early cleanings will run according to the annual neighborhood street cleaning program’s normal schedule. Please refer to www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sweeping/ for a schedule by neighborhood. Residents should follow posted street sweeping signage for their neighborhoods. The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) is asking residents to voluntarily move vehicles for the early street sweeping program, as violations will not be issued. BTD will begin enforcing parking restrictions for the regular neighborhood street cleaning program on April 1.

Boston experienced record snowfall this winter, and the City has already collected approximately 255 tons of debris from City streets since March 1. For tomorrow’s kick off, the Public Works Department will have a full contingent of street sweepers cleaning areas throughout the City.