For Immediate Release

November 18, 2009

(415) 554-6931

Holiday Sweep to Clean Up Shopping Districts

with City Staff and Volunteers

City, merchant associations, residents

to spruce up downtown for the Holiday season

AN FRANCISCO, CA – Just before the holiday shopping season gets underway, the Department of Public Works (DPW) is making a major push to spruce up downtown shopping districts with the 2009 Holiday Sweep - a multi-partnered cleanup that is taking place around Union Square and Market Street beginning November 19th and continuing through the day before Thanksgiving.

The Holiday Sweep is a collaboration between DPW, the Union Square and Market Street associations; the Union Square Business Improvement District, and the Municipal Transportation Agency to clean up streets, repair and repaint curbs, paint litter receptacles, remove graffiti, and educate merchants about city codes meant to keep our sidewalks clean.

Volunteers are invited to participate in the first day of the cleanup on November 19th from noon to 4pm in Hallidie Plaza, the sunken plaza below Powell and Market streets, by helping to decorate and clean up the plaza. The 2009 Holiday Sweep coincides with the Market Street Association's lighting of giant illuminated snowflakes on Market Street's signature "Path of Gold" light poles during the evening of November 19th.

DPW is responsible for the care and maintenance of San Francisco's streets and much of its infrastructure. The department cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and maintains City street trees; designs, constructs and maintains city-owned facilities; inspects streets and sidewalks; constructs curb ramps; removes graffiti from public property; and partners with the diverse neighborhoods in San Francisco to provide stellar cleaning and greening services.

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