Street Cleaning Chicago

Street Cleaning in Chicago

Street sweepers come through Chicago streets once a month to clean the streets.  They operate during the months of April to November.  One day notice is given to residents through temporary signs that are strung up on trees.  Some streets have permanent signage up like the one pictured below.  The problem is the schedule is incredibly confusing and it’s easy to forget.  Street cleaning tickets are currently $60 a pop and soon to be rising to $75.  If you want to search the street sweeping schedule for Chicago you can click the link below.

City of Chicago Street Sweeping Schedule.  

There, the maps and information are sorted by ward.  For example here is a map of ward 1.  The problem here is the information is shown and made public but in an extremely confusing way.  Check out this street sweeping calendar.  

Here’s an exercise.  If you live in Chicago, take your Chicago address and find out when the next street cleaning closure on your residential street is.  Chances are you’ll have to figure out what ward you’re in.  Time to go to google to figure out what ward you’re in.  After you know that, you’ll then have to interpret the confusing calendar PDF file to figure it out.  They do post signs up the day before, but I have seen signs being put up as late as 9pm at night when your car has to be removed by 9am the next morning!  

A really helpful resource for street cleaning in Chicago is below.  You can also keep your car off the Chicago streets in a reserved parking lot through SpotHero.

Check out TheExpiredMeter’s Street Cleaning Chicago Guide 101