PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 16, 2011          

CONTACT: (415) 554-6926                         

PUBLIC WORKS COMMENCES EARLY MORNING OUTREACH ALONG COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS

Spruce Up By Sun Up undergoes its second round in an effort to clean neighborhoods

San Francisco, CA – The Department of Public Works (DPW) is undergoing pre-dawn outreach walks along 69 of San Francisco’s busiest blocks.  The initiative is being carried out in partnership with various city agencies including Recology Golden Gate and Recology Sunset Scavenger and focuses on issues such as clean sidewalks, tree maintenance, graffiti, and required garbage collection service. 

The latest phase in the Community Corridors Partnership Program called “Spruce Up by Sun Up” Round Two is a follow-up to earlier outreach and inspections to ensure that city ordinances are being observed. As part of the campaign, DPW contacted every property owner prior to commencing the inspections with a schedule as well as clear and detailed information regarding maintenance standards and responsibilities. This morning, staff kicked off Round Two at 5 am by canvassing Church Street from Duboce to 18th Streets and identified four properties without proper refuse service, almost 50 public and private properties with graffiti, dozens of tree related needs, and many other housekeeping items spanning from missing vent covers to repainting the crosswalk.

“The goal of the campaign is to maintain and enhance the cleanliness of the streets and ensure they remain inviting for residents, customers and other visitors,” said Mohammed Nuru, Interim Director of the Department of Public Works. “A clean city requires strong partnerships between city agencies, businesses, and residents and I look forward to our continued work together to keep our city beautiful.”

During Round One, more than 9,000 deficiencies were indentified over the course of five months; 35% graffiti related, 24% tree care issues, 17% garbage service related, 16% sidewalk cleanliness and maintenance issues, and 8% were issues that were referred to another city agency. As a result, almost 600 establishments opened garbage service.

In order to achieve this goal, DPW will educate and enforce city ordinances such as:  

• Properties or businesses with inadequate or no-garbage service will issued a citation.  By law, each business and residence must subscribe to refuse service.  

• Tree basin and tree care issues; 

• Graffiti or blighted property, including awnings;

• Litter, including cigarette butts and/or grimy sidewalks.

DPW staff, other city agencies, and representatives from Recology Golden Gate and Sunset Scavenger will inspect the corridors every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5am to 7am beginning August 16, 2011.  The week, crews will conduct walks along 24th Street from Potrero Avenue to Folsom and Potrero Avenue from 20th Street to Cesar Chavez. A schedule and list of corridors can be found by visiting www.sfdpw.org

“Public and private partnerships are critical to the cleanliness of our merchant corridors,” adds Awadalla Awadalla, President of Outer Sunset Merchant and Professionals Association (OSMPA). “The Spruce Up By Sun Up campaign allows merchants to directly work with service agencies so that we address concerns in a timely manner; while helping to maintain a sustainable streetscape for the community to patron and enjoy.” 

The “Spruce Up by Sun Up” campaign is part of DPW’s Community Corridors Partnership Program, which provides extensive education and outreach by visiting streets at all times of the day and night to educate merchants and property owners about their responsibilities to keep San Francisco clean and green. In addition to education and outreach, the program improves the quality of life on busy San Francisco merchant corridors by cleaning sidewalks, removing graffiti on public property, and repairing potholes.

In May 2011, the City Controller released the Street and Sidewalk Perception Study Report which revealed that pedestrians generally have a positive perception of the cleanliness of streets and sidewalks. The most common complaints were about cigarette butts, trash, smells, grime, and generally dirty appearance. The report also recommended the department to increase public outreach and awareness to property owners about sidewalk cleanliness and maintenance responsibilities.

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. For more information, please visit www.sfdpw.org

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