For immediate release:
The City of Portland is pleased to announce a basic sidewalk cleaning service along major business corridors and other high-impact areas to keep our community friendlier, safer, and more welcoming.
Starting in October 2025, Portland Solutions' Public Environment Management Office (PEMO) is rolling out basic sidewalk cleaning along major business corridors and city centers.
Crews on trikes and trucks visit Portland's busiest locations on a regular basis to clean up trash and biohazards from the sidewalks that people rely on to go to school and work, go shopping, keep appointments, and enjoy their neighborhoods.
Cleaner sidewalks promote health and safety for everyone, especially children, families, and vulnerable populations.
Cleaner sidewalks also support small businesses, make neighborhoods more inviting, and stoke community pride.
How it works
Cleaning crews sweep sidewalks, pick up litter, clean biohazards, and pressure wash outdoor surfaces. They remove graffiti from city assets like bike racks, meters and trashcans.
In the central city, crews follow routes on pink tricycles.
In other parts of town, crews follow routes in trucks with pink signs.
The frequency depends on need—weekly, bi-monthly or quarterly. Crews may step up or step back their presence in a particular corridor depending on the conditions.
Cleaner sidewalks invite more people to stroll through their business districts, generating energy and buzz.
Partnering for Portland
The service is made possible by Portland City Council working together with Portland Solutions' Public Environment Management Office (PEMO). Building upon collaboration in the Gateway Service District that began in 2024, PEMO developed the concept and manages the contracts.
The work is performed by our contractors: Central City Concern and Cultivate.
Most of this service is supported by a PEMO budget allocation of $1.7 million from Portland City Council.
The service in the Gateway area is supported by a three-year partnership among the City, Multnomah County, and TriMet. Each partner is contributing $100,000 a year for three years.
Additional routes in District 4 are supported by allocations from Councilors Olivia Clark and Eric Zimmerman.
Questions
Are you going to charge me for this? No. This is a free service brought to you by your Portland City Council.
How can I report drug activity? Contact the Portland Police Bureau online or call the tip line. Your information will remain confidential.
How do I get help for a person in distress? Portland Street Response assists people experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises.
- Call 911 or 503-823-PSR3 (7773) for service anywhere in the city.
- Learn more about Portland Street Response.
What do the crews do about campsites or people sleeping on sidewalks? Our crews are sidewalk cleaners, not outreach workers, but they can help people find services. You can also request services and report campsites online or by calling 3-1-1.
How do I report trash or graffiti? We have additional contracted partners to help, report online or by calling 3-1-1.
How is this connected to Clean & Safe and the City's Enhanced Services Districts? Those districts already provide trash cleanup, in addition to other services like graffiti removal. Basic Sidewalk Cleaning does not operate in those districts.
This sounds great. How do I request sidewalk cleaning on my street? We do not provide sidewalk cleaning on residential streets, but will consider suggestions for additional business corridors or high-impact areas. Contact us at pemo@portlandoregon.gov.
Which sidewalks will you clean?
Crews will clean sidewalks on the busiest stretches of Portland's major business corridors. Routes vary based on impact and need.
District 1
NE Sandy Boulevard
SE 122nd
E Burnside
SE Division
NE 82nd
SE Powell
NE Halsey
District 2
N Lombard
NE Killingsworth
N Williams
NE Alberta
N Mississippi
N Vancouver
NE Broadway
N Interstate
North Ainsworth
NE MLK
NE Cully
District 3
NE Sandy
E Burnside
NE 28th
SE Hawthorne
SE Division/Clinton
SE Belmont
SE Foster
SE Woodstock
NE & SE 82nd
SE 79th
SE 80th
SE Milwaukie
SE Powell
SE 12th
SE 7th
SE MLK
SE Grand
District 4
NW 21st
SE 13th (Sellwood)
SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway (Hillsdale)
SW Capitol Highway (Multnomah Village)
NW 23rd
West Burnside
NW Everett
NW Glisan
NW Lovejoy
NW 10th
NW 11th
NW 18th
NW 20th