Street cleaning

Overview 

The Street Cleaning section of the Maintenance Operations group within the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) provides street sweeping, cleaning, and vegetation management services to remove debris and vegetation from Portland's streets. This work helps maintain pavement conditions as well all markings like crosswalks and painted bike lanes. It keeps our stormwater and wastewater collection systems free of debris and contributes to the overall cleanliness and livability of our city streets.

Major arterials and downtown core

Crews with PBOT's Street Cleaning teams clear debris from roughly 1,000 miles of busy, major arterial streets 6-8 times per year. Night shift crews also sweep Portland's downtown core weekly.

Other major arterial routes include SE Division Street, NE Sandy Boulevard, NE Columbia Boulevard, SE Foster Road, SE Holgate Boulevard, NE Killingsworth Street, SE Powell, 82nd Avenue, and SW Naito Parkway.

Bike lanes

Sweeping and cleaning of bike lanes is funded through the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) as part of Strategic Program 29 – Active transportation maintenance and operations. Examples of routes include bike lanes on Naito Parkway, SW Broadway, SW Multnomah Boulevard, SE 136th Avenue, N Greeley Avenue, N Going Street, and Rosa Parks Way.

What this means:

• Specialized compact sweepers clean protected bike lanes a minimum of 4 times per year with some areas being swept more frequently due to additional tree debris, etc.
• Ongoing coordination with Leaf Day operations and other maintenance.

Cleaning around shelters

Mayor Wilson's Enhanced Corridor Cleaning Initiative directs city crews to improve visibility and safety around shelter locations. As part of this work, PBOT Street Cleaning crews clean streets weekly and abate graffiti. These include high-visibility arterials and business districts prioritized for enhanced cleaning.

Local street cleaning returns

After budget cuts, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) discontinued annual local street cleaning in 2023 with the exception of PBOT's free Leaf Day service which covers over 50 districts each fall.

However, thanks to new allocations in the city budget, local street cleaning is returning. PBOT has committed to cleaning all city-maintained local streets 2 times per year, then eventually 4 times per year as budget, staffing, and equipment allow. 

2026 pilot

PBOT is running a small pilot before expanding this service to all city-maintained streets. This pilot is running July - September 2026 in portions of the Kenton, Cathedral Park, and St. Johns neighborhoods. Visit our pilot page for more information:

Local street cleaning - 2026 pilot

Here are the goals the city has set for PBOT:

• Phased reintroduction of residential street cleaning to eventually cover roughly 2,300 miles of residential streets with curbs and 1,200 miles of streets without.
• Clear communication with residents about service dates and expectations, including schedules on our website
• Clear signage
• Sweeping twice per year, then expanding to four times per year (as funding allows).

Here are the goals PBOT has set for the pilots:

• Talk with businesses and residents to determine ideal days and times for street cleaning
• Publish cleaning schedules and routes in advance
• Provide clear communication about service dates 
• Provide clear expectations for people to clear vehicles and other objects in the right-of-way to get the best service
• Test different signs to ensure they are clear and understandable
• Use this experience to guide citywide rollout

Transition from Leaf Day to local street cleaning

In 2025, PBOT piloted an expansion of Leaf Day to 29 new zones but saw relatively few leaves of the type that both cause the most safety issues for the traveling public and clog our drains in heavy storms. In 2026, these zones will be the first to move to regular local street cleaning as PBOT ramps up the program, with one cleaning in the fall and another by winter's end or early spring.

Funding and accountability

The city's renewed investment in street cleaning was outlined in the city's budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26. This includes dedicated stormwater management funding as well as General Transportation Revenue (GTR).

This funding allows PBOT to:

• Begin piloting residential street cleaning starting July 2026.
• Replace aging street cleaning equipment and invest in more efficient, lower-emission sweepers.
• Recruit and train new staff to support expanded service levels.
• Increase transparency and accountability by publicly sharing street cleaning schedules, routes, and performance metrics.

As part of this funding, PBOT will report to city council and the public about program spending, outcomes, and environmental benefits, ensuring regular street cleaning delivers measurable results for Portlanders.

Tips for year-round maintenance of your street

This is a reminder that PBOT relies on residents to help keep streets clean and safe by clearing leaves and debris from storm drains near their property, especially in the fall. This prevents clogging and flooding. Here are some helpful tips for year-round care 

Report hazards in the right-of-way 

For emergency road hazards, clogged storm drains, or other hazards in the right-of-way such as downed signs, contact PBOT's 24/7 Maintenance Dispatch at 503-823-1700. 

You can also use the PDX Reporter app on your Android or iOS smartphone.