Keeping the Pearl Clean: Exploring Smarter Street Maintenance Solutions
Talking street cleaning, graffiti, and smarter city maintenance.
I recently took Shaylee Robanske, Operations Division Manager at PBOT, on a tour of the Pearl District. Her division focuses on street cleaning, graffiti removal from street signs, and crosswalk improvements.
During our walk, I learned a lot about their staffing levels and the day-to-day challenges they face in keeping our streets clean and safe. One major hurdle? It’s nearly impossible to clean curb to curb when cars are parked along the street.
In the past, temporary overnight “no parking” zones have been implemented to give cleaning crews better access—and they’ve proven effective. We’re now discussing a potential pilot program in the Pearl that would follow a similar model used in other cities: enforcing monthly overnight no-parking restrictions to allow for thorough street cleaning.
While the idea is still in discussion, it could be a great step forward in keeping our neighborhood streets as clean and welcoming as possible!
I’d like to hear your perspective on the issues impacting the Pearl District. Reach out at chase@nwccpdx.org.
Thanks,
Chase
Executive Director, NWCC
