The Department of Public Works' (DPW) Bureau of Street and Environmental Services is responsible for keeping San Francisco clean and litter-free. The DPW’s mechanical sweepers, along with “sweeper support laborers,” are on the streets every day of the week from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM, excluding holidays, to undertake the daunting task of cleaning 90% of San Francisco’s streets. Residential streets are usually cleaned between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM once a week. Street signs list dates and times for scheduled sweepings, but you can also go to SFViewer and type in your street name and number to find out the information.

Despite these municipal efforts, what can you do if your street still looks dirty? You can call the DPW at 311, available 24-hours a day for immediate service, and request a special visit from the sweeper. If the problem seems chronic and you think your neighborhood needs additional regularly scheduled maintenance, 311 can also provide you with details on how to obtain extra service. Keep in mind that if there is human liquid or solid waste on your street or sidewalk, you are entitled to have the DPW perform a steam cleaning. You can also pay a visit the DPW’s online “Customer Service Page”.

If bettering the condition of the City is a cause  in which you would like to get further involved, you could consider joining the San Francisco Clean City Coalition, a non-profit organization that “works to keep San Francisco clean and green by building bridges between resources and the neighborhood groups, merchant associations, and residents that need them.” Clean City offers a great many volunteer opportunities through their various beautification and clean-up projects. In addition, DPW’s The Community Clean Team is ”a city-wide volunteer program that partners city agencies with residents, merchants and students to clean and beautify San Francisco neighborhoods.”