READER REPORT: City’s trial-run electric mini-sweeper seen in West Seattle bike lanes

Thanks to Don Brubeck from West Seattle Bike Connections for the photo and report:

Here is a 11/20/23 photo of driver Paul with SDOT’s electric compact street sweeper working on the SW Avalon Way bike lanes. He had to get out to remove some branches by hand. This is a welcome sight for people riding bikes, with all the fall leaves in the lanes becoming a little slippery when wet and hiding who knows what.

As announced in September, SDOT is in the middle of a six-month test of this sweeper, part of a larger look at how much of its fleet could go electric.

mem November 21, 2023 (10:24 pm)

How about the rest of the streets full of leaves? Let’s bring back all the street sweepers.

Anne November 22, 2023 (5:39 am)

. I’ve seen the regular street cleaners quite often. Lately though with the amount of leaves & a good wind it doesn’t take long for the streets to look like they’ve not been cleaned.
DorianLedbecker November 22, 2023 (5:43 am)

Actually, in the last several months I have seen a street sweeper in use on various parts of Alki. Would be a question for WSB to ask of SDOT how many street sweepers they own and if they actually have a schedule for where and when they operate.
- WSB November 22, 2023 (9:45 am)
  
  https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/your-services/sewer-and-drainage/street-sweeping
  
  Didn’t know that map existed!
datamuse November 22, 2023 (7:27 am)

Why, did they go somewhere?
KM November 22, 2023 (8:09 am)

Far less dangerous for car drivers to drive over leaves than cyclists–though I did see a street sweeper in our neighborhood a few times this year already! I know we can’t prevent leaves from falling into the road, but we’ve gotta do something about all the leaf blower dudes blowing leaves and trash onto the roads and leaving it.
Kt November 22, 2023 (9:16 am)

Could be financed by fining homeowners and businesses that leaf blow their leaves into the roads!
- waikikigirl November 23, 2023 (2:39 pm)
  
  Fining homeowners and biz’ that blow leafs out into the road??? How about fining the homeowners that won’t even go out and rake up those leaves that are falling onto the roads.
WestSeattleBadTakes November 22, 2023 (10:10 am)

Some “all lives matter” vibes here. The city most certainly street sweeps, whether they have the capacity to handle fall is a valid question.

But putting into opposition with bicycle infrastructure which has been largely ignored until now isn’t helpful or necessary.
JP November 23, 2023 (3:01 am)

Agreed! Other cities you’d see them out at least once a week. I always wonder with all the trash you see along 599 for example why we won’t street sweep here.

No more flat tires for bike commute? November 22, 2023 (4:18 am)

Much appreciated. I had three flat tires in two weeks at end of October. Royal pain in the posterior. Bike lanes were full of glass. So much crud gets pushed off the road. Hoping they regularly sweep from Spokane street to Coast Guard Station as that stretch can get really bad for some reason. Thanks. Feels much safer after the sweep!!

sbre November 22, 2023 (6:46 am)

Give Paul an extra turkey leg and all the desserts he wants on Thanksgiving!Thanks Paul!!!

Yes2WS November 22, 2023 (6:47 am)

This is great! And yes to the regular sweeping of Spokane street to the Coast Guard Station.

sw November 22, 2023 (6:51 am)

Very cool. Thanks to any and all who make the bike lanes cleaner and safer.

WS Bike Commuter November 22, 2023 (7:36 am)

Thanks, Paul! And SDOT. Very cool the sweeper is electric too.

Finally! November 22, 2023 (10:01 am)

Our streets are filthy, so many flat tires over the years. Street sweeping is also necessary for preventing garbage from entering our streams and Puget Sound. I am the only one of my neighbors that actually sweeps and removes debris at the curb. Blowing leaves into the middle of the street is so lazy and temporary. Love that these are electric too!

Jay November 23, 2023 (11:02 pm)

It’s gotten so bad I had to switch my commuter bike to tubeless. That helped a lot, but it’s an extra hassle.

SM November 22, 2023 (10:12 am)

Thank you, Paul! So stoked to see this bike lane clean up. I hope it becomes a regular maintenance thing! Toward the end of summer, I suffered so many flats. I had to get new tubes three times in a month! Insanity. Debris and slippery leaves be gone!

Sorry, comment time is over.