Street crews go after mess

City street crews in the Omaha area are taking on a new task now that most of the snow is gone: the cleanup, and lots of it.

After three months of snow that wouldn't budge, higher temperatures have melted nearly all of it, leaving behind a mess.

Scott McIntyre, Omaha street maintenance engineer, said the long winter covered up packed-in trash, dirt and debris that now litters many city streets.

“You see those black piles of snow?” McIntyre asked. “All that dirt and grit that was in the snow is left behind. There's litter, there's sand, there's dirt and tree debris.

“As the traffic beats that up, it gets kicked in the gutter along with everything else.''

Street crews in Omaha and elsewhere are starting their spring cleanups. Here's a look at what a few are doing:

Omaha

Street sweeping begins Monday. Crews will focus initially on residential areas and finish by May 30.

McIntyre said the city doesn't mind if residents want to hose down their driveways and porches, but they shouldn't form piles of debris in the street. Residents also should avoid picking up litter on the street.

“You appreciate the effort, but it's kind of a safety problem,” McIntyre said. “In many ways, it's just best for us to get on the street and pick all that up.”

Other spring cleanup activities:

• The Downtown Improvement District Association will sponsor a cleanup March 20. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce's new courtyard at 10 a.m.

For more information or to sign up, call Joe Gudenrath, executive director, at 916-1796 or email joe.omahadid@gmail.com.

• Yard waste pickup resumes April 5.

• For Omaha's Spring Neighborhood Cleanup, the large bins for collection of bulky or hard-to-dispose-of items will start appearing April 17 and run weekly at different locations through May 22.

A hot line with locations each week — 444-4636 — will start operating in April. Many neighborhood associations schedule cleanups to coincide with the city effort.

Bellevue

Street sweeping crews began their first pass through the city March 1, said street superintendent Bobby Riggs. He hopes that crews can complete two passes by April 23, if no more snow falls.

Riggs said a third pass could be needed because of the amount of sand and salt used to treat streets this winter.

Council Bluffs

The city began street sweeping on Wednesday. No other formal cleanup is planned yet.

City officials want to make sure winter is really over. Spring officially arrives March 20.

“I don't know that (snow removal crews) have quite thrown in the towel yet,” joked John Nicolini, the city's operations engineer.

Lincoln

In Lincoln and Lancaster County, officials are asking the public for help in cleaning up litter by carrying a trash bag with them when they take a walk or visit a park.

Businesses also have been asked to clean up parking lots around their buildings.

“A cleaner business location is more attractive to customers and demonstrates the business owner's commitment to the community,” according to a statement released by the city and the Lancaster County Health Department.

Contact the writer:

444-3100, maggie.obrien@owh.com

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