Much waste is caused by lack of system in laying out the work and improperly directing the street cleaning gangs and teams. The attached tables give the systems now being used in fifty American municipalities. A study of these will show that some very definite ideas have been developed by street cleaning officials in this country. For example, most cities prefer having patrolmen work singly instead of in gangs.
In making assignments attention should be given to the smallest details, such as correct reports from foremen as to the number of streets swept and loads carted away, and the correct number of sweepers in each street. In many cities three are sent through a street when two would do. Dirt wagons should not be started immediately behind sweeping gangs as it usually takes thirty minutes to an hour before a gang can sweep up enough dirt for a full load. Dirt teams should not start for at least one hour after the sweeper begins. Gangs should have allotted to them enough work to keep them busy until quitting time so that they do not have to kill time. Laxity in any part of the system eats up the department appropriation.
Spring Cleaning
The spring cleaning system usually calls for the piling up and removal of the heavy dirt which is washed from the center of the street and which accumulates in the gutters during the winter season. The experience of cities with such work indicates that the assignment of one man to a definite length of street, or the assignment of a small gang of not exceeding three men, to definite lengths of streets is more effective and economical.
The Chicago Commission says that where a gang of three men is assigned to the work, team work is developed by the use of one man in removing the dirt from the roadway and one man each from the gutters. In the granite and brick pavements considerably more brooming is necessary on the roadway. Granite, brick and cedar block pavements require that the dirt be scraped from the center of the street to the gutter before piling in the gutters can be commenced. The center cleaning rates per man in Chicago are given as follows:
| Car Track | Outside Car Track | |
|---|---|---|
| Sq. Yds. per Day | Sq. Yds. per Day | |
| Good Asphalt | 16,500 | 18,500 |
| Fair Asphalt | 12,900 | 14,800 |
| Poor Asphalt | 9,200 | 11,100 |
| Good Brick | 4,400 | 5,500 |
| Fair Brick | 3,540 | 3,700 |
| Poor Brick | 1,850 | 2,960 |
| Good Granite | 4,400 | 5,550 |
| Fair Granite | 3,340 | 3,700 |
| Poor Granite | 1,850 | 2,220 |
| Cobblestone | 1,470 | |
The single gutter rates in miles per day per man are given as follows:
| Times Cleaned per Week | Asphalt | Good Brick | Poor Brick and Granite of All Kinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1.8 miles | 1.4 miles | 1.4 miles |
| 3 | 1.4 miles | 1.1 miles | 0.7 miles |
| 6 | 0.7 miles | 0.5 miles | 0.3 miles |
| 9 | 0.3 miles | 0.2 miles | |
| 12 | 0.2 miles | 0.2 miles |
Chicago has found that the unit cost of spring cleaning of macadam and cedar block streets of different physical condition is as follows:
| First Class Condition, Cost for Cleaning 100 Lin. Ft. | Fair Condition, Cost for Cleaning 100 Lin. Ft. | Poor Condition, Cost for Cleaning 100 Lin. Ft. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic | Traffic | Traffic | |||
| Heavy | Light | Heavy | Light | Heavy | Light |
| $1.18 | $.90 | $1.97 | $1.46 | $2.25 | $1.89 |