Mar 23, 2013 1 min read

The city of Washington has purchased a street sweeper, which is encouraging. Now what’s needed is a plan to use it effectively.

In years gone by, the street department has used a street sweeper, but sporadically and often without notice. The result was streets only partially swept due to cars parked in its way.

Now that the city has a reliable machine with a three-year service agreement, it should establish a regular schedule and publicize it.

Washington might look to New York City as an example. Parking on the street there is free, but signs indicate the days and hours when parking is prohibited for street cleaning. Violators are likely to pay a heavy fine and have their cars towed away. And that system prevents another problem: people parking their vehicles permanently in the same spot.