For Immediate Release

Contact: (415) 554-6931

December 16, 2009

PUBLIC WORKS JOINS MID POLK NEIGHBORS AND SUPERVISOR DAVID CHIU TO UNVEIL CIGARETTE CANISTERS AND ANNOUNCE CONTEST WINNER

Public Works Strengthens Strategic Community Partnerships to Address Litter in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, CA –The Department of Public Works (DPW) announced a partnership with a local neighborhood group to test different types of ashtray canisters for the public to use and announced their slogan contest winner to motivate smokers to safely deposit their cigarette butts into these ashtrays and not on city streets and sidewalks.

The pilot program tests different types of cigarette canisters to address the cleanliness of commercial corridors. DPW is partnering with the Middle Polk Neighborhood Association (MPNA), to place and test three models of cigarette canisters: one affixed to city litter receptacles, one affixed to participating businesses and one that will be placed at curbs alongside participating businesses. Mid Polk volunteers conducted cigarette litter counts before the canisters were placed and will continue to monitor and provide data to DPW to assess which model could work best in other commercial areas.

In its effort to keep San Francisco clean, DPW is utilizing data from the Controller's recently released Street and Sidewalk Maintenance Annual Report 2008-2009, which offers inspection data and analysis on the condition of residential and commercial streets and sidewalks. The study indicates that enhanced efforts need to be concentrated in the areas of street and sidewalk cleanliness in commercial areas, which this partnership and effort support.