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Written by Elizabeth Limbach
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 |
Pacific Avenue gets swept away by the city’s new sidewalk cleanerA small, excited crowd gathered on the corner of Pacific Avenue and Church Street on Nov. 13 to witness Santa Cruz unveil its latest toy—an environmentally sustainable sidewalk sweeper/scrubber. City leaders, business owners and passers-by watched as the city’s new street sweep made its debut, scooting along the sidewalk and causing unsuspecting pedestrians to amusedly dodge out of the way.
 After thorough investigation into the latest and greatest in street sweeping, the city decided on this model, which sweeps, scrubs and then vacuums the water back up so that the dirty water doesn’t enter the storm drain system. The machine also uses less water overall than other street cleaning methods.
Cathlin Atchison, the project manager, says the investment was a way of addressing public concern over a dirty downtown. “People want a cleaner downtown,” she says. “We are making sure to pay attention to our downtown and make it an attractive destination for visitors.”
Standing by with a smile on his face, Mayor Ryan Coonerty recalls joining the city council at a time when the streets hadn’t been cleaned at all in five years. The city tested out many different strategies over the years, but he believes this green machine is the most promising. Still, he reports that it’s just the beginning of the city’s efforts to clean-up downtown. “This is one small piece,” he says. “We want to address issues downtown from all angles.” The other pieces include increased trash pick up, more police and better, more environmentally conscious lighting.
 Of course, these efforts come with costs—or, in the case of the sweeper/scrubber, a $75,000 price tag. The purchase was a collaborative effort between the city, Redevelopment Agency, Parking District, and refuse funds. The city’s refuse, parking and general funds will share the operating costs, which are not accounted for in the $75,000 figure.
Last week’s gathering was only a demonstration of the integrated sidewalk sweeper/scrubber. Operator training is now underway, and the equipment will be put into regular use soon after Thanksgiving for a six-month pilot period. According to Atchison, the sweeper/scrubber will spend between 15 and 18 hours a week polishing the downtown area, including Pacific Avenue, the parking garages and parts of Front and Cedar Streets. The equipment will also be shared with the Municipal Wharf. After six months, the city will evaluate the effectiveness of the project and decide on whether to make it a permanent fixture on Santa Cruz’s streets.
The machine’s success at cleaning up downtown might be pending, but, judging by the intrigue at its introduction, the sweeper/scrubber has already won the affection of the patrons. Watching as the curious crowd prods and pokes at the new vehicle, city councilmember Lynn Robinson jokes, “I think we should be charging five dollars a ride!”
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