Street Sweeping in the Point - a Councillor's (wordy) Insights
Good afternoon, Reddit! Ward 1 Councillor and ten-year Point resident Erin Turowski chiming in here.
Wow, the thread about street sweeping in the Point really blew up overnight. Honestly, it’s a welcome change to see people engaged in what happens in the Point, because it’s historically such a difficult area to engage and, consequently, to advocate for. OP, getting towed sucks, and it’s a hassle, and it’s expensive, and I’m sorry that’s how your week started. I understand your pain - it’s happened to me before, too (twice in Salem, and a few times in Columbus, Ohio, as well). I did want to chime in here to address some concerns, correct some misinformation, and provide some resources to help make it easier for people to understand when street sweeps are happening.
Communication is really important to making sure people aren’t caught off guard by the tow trucks, especially because there have been some changes in the street sweeping schedule and procedures recently - most notably, the discontinuation of the “orange signs.” The city moved away from that practice due to the labor and cost of re-hanging signs every two weeks, and honestly, I support it, although I was not part of the decision-making process. Aside from the staff hours required, those little black zip ties used to attach the signs are often left as plastic litter, and litter is part of the reason we are having this discussion - every little bit matters. I have never lived in a city that manually hangs signs to notify residents of street sweeping; it seems like everywhere else has permanent signage. There were some pain points this year, as there are with any new system, but I am hopeful that going forward, the permanent signs are an economically and ecologically-friendly fix. I’m also disappointed that the new signs aren’t in Spanish, but with the money and time it takes to have signs generated and installed, I don’t see these being substantially replaced anytime in the next couple of years; we are probably limited to “sticker fixes,” if anything. Perhaps there could be stickers affixed with a QR code link to the current corresponding neighborhood sweep schedule. I’d be willing to talk to DPS and the Transportation Department about it.
As for the frequency - sweeps have been biweekly in the Point for several years, and with all of the trash on the ground in the Point, and our abutting ocean shore, I support that, too. People just don’t put their trash where it belongs, and rubbish bins are frequently overfilled, which allows seagulls and other wildlife to go wild. It is most definitely an issue of neighborhood pride and a real-life example of the “broken window theory.” Going back in the archives, I believe our street sweeping program was overhauled in 2018. I was trying to find out exactly when the biweekly schedule was implemented in the Point, but I couldn’t find solid evidence online on a brief review this morning. However, I did find an August 2013 report from the NSCDC and the MAPC (“Vision and Action Plan for the Point Neighborhood in Salem 2013-2020”. This report specifically calls for increased trash pickups and street sweeping because this is a high-population-density neighborhood with high infrastructure demands. I’m not speaking for the NSCDC here, but if they recommended more frequent street sweeping, then I can almost guarantee that they did it from a place of good intent. Implementing biweekly street sweeping was not the city or Todisco (or formerly, Bill’s), trying to make a cash grab here.
A few remarks to address specific comments in the original thread: -Free garage parking in the South Harbor garage (for Point sweeps, 8 pm Sunday night through 8 pm Monday night) and the Museum Place garage (for Downtown sweeps, 8 pm Wednesday night through 8 am Thursday morning) is available with proof of residency (driver’s license, utility bill, etc.). -The Point has fewer driveways than most other neighborhoods but also has a lower per capita rate of car ownership than most other areas in Salem. This was discussed multiple times during last year’s conversations about removing parking minimums for multifamily properties of 3 units or more, but I can’t find the exact source on a quick search. -Year-round resident permit parking has been considered for the Point in the past, but due to a large proportion of cars that are not registered in Salem (and would not qualify for year-round resident permit parking) and the fact that permit cost would impose an additional cost barrier in an already price-sensitive neighborhood, it has not been implemented. The city makes an exception for October resident parking in the Point and grants passes to vehicles that are not registered in Salem. -Parking tickets can be appealed by emailing tickethearings@salem.com within 21 days of receiving the violation. With all of the changes this year, it’s not unreasonable to try this (especially if this is your first ticket).
I’d also like to point out that the city has made leaps and bounds to improve street and pedestrian infrastructure in the Point during the past couple of years, such as upgrading the sidewalks, prioritizing our neighborhood for snow removal from streets and sidewalks (including the Congress Street bridge), reconfiguring the street behind the Sarah Parker Remond School, and soon, installing permanent speed humps on Leavitt, Palmer, Dow, and Harbor Streets. I work with the city to address issues like illegal trash dumping, snow removal, tree limbs and debris in bike lanes, illegal parking, and many other constituent concerns, as many readers can probably attest.
I’m not going to include a bunch of links in this post to avoid triggering spam filters, but I’ll include resources in a comment below where people can find current street sweep schedules and upcoming dates.
I hope this information helps folks out. I know it can be pretty confusing trying to decode the street sweeping schedule, especially for newer residents, but I really do try to share this information far and wide when I can. Thanks for reading - if you have questions or if you just want to grab coffee, the best way to contact me is to send me an email at eturowski (at) salem.com so it doesn’t get lost in the Reddit sauce.
Cheers, -Erin