Officials say over 5,000 blocks have been cleaned so far in Philly as cleanup plan continues

A month after Philadelphia launched an initiative to clean up every block of the city, officials provided an update on their ambitious, 13-week plan.

"Our 'Clean and Green' team has cleaned over 5,000 blocks in the city of Philadelphia so far," Carlton Williams, the director of the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, announced at the Ernest L. Tustin Recreation Center in the city's Overbrook neighborhood on Tuesday, July 2.

Since the summer-long cleanup began on Monday, June 3, more than 600 abandoned cars have been removed, more than 1800 potholes have been filed and more than 1500 vacant lots have been picked up, officials revealed Tuesday.

"Never in the 40 plus years I've lived in the city of Philadelphia, all my life, have I seen all of our agencies come together like this for a program like this," Philadelphia Sanitation Commissioner Crystal Jacobs Shipman said.

Williams told NBC10 city sanitation enforcement officers have also been patrolling the neighborhoods to make sure that areas that were cleaned remain clean.

"So we have our sanitation enforcement officers who are following up behind our cleaning crews to ensure that residents following the rules and regulations," Williams said.

The enforcement officers have issued 1400 code violations and notices since the initiative began, according to officials.

“My overarching goal for Philadelphia is a Safer, Cleaner and Greener City, with Access to Economic Opportunity for All,” first-term Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a news release announcing the initiative last month. “Our Clean and Green Initiative, under Director Carlton Williams, is central to what we want to achieve for our residents. We’ve already begun cleaning neighborhood commercial corridors across the city, and now, Clean and Green will begin cleaning every residential block citywide. We’re going to deliver on our promise and end 'Filthadelphia' once and for all.”

Léelo en español aquí.

When will the crew be in my neighborhood?

Officials laid out the cleaning schedule for the entire city.

During the current week of July 1, the neighborhoods of East Parkside, Wynnefield, Haddington, Overbrook and Cobbs Creek are the focus.

• Monday - Locust Street to Springfield Avenue and 57th Street & Cobbs Creek Parkway to 52nd and 53^rd streets
• Tuesday - City Avenue to MLK Drive, Girard Avenue, Parkside Avene, Upland Avenue, 58th Street,57th Street, 56th Street and Race Street
• Wednesday - Upland Street and 54th Street to Race Street. Lancaster Avenue, Oxford Street, 58th Street, to Malvern Street, 68th Street, 67th Street, Daggett and Gross
• Friday - Lancaster Avenue & Oxford Street to Locust Street, 59th Street & 58th Street  to 52nd Street
• Saturday - Race Street to Angora and Cobbs Creek to 57th & 58th streets

During the week of July 8, the neighborhoods of West Parkside, Mantua, University City, Southwest Kingsessing and Eastwick will be the focus.

• Monday – Cobbs Creek to Essington, Passyunk Avenue from 65^th Street to Bartram Avenue
• Tuesday – Belmont & 42^nd to MLK from Parkside & Girard Avenue to Market Street
• Wednesday – Belmont, Lancaster & 42^nd Street to 53^rd and 52^nd streets from Parkside to Pine Street
• Thursday – Market and Pine streets to 53^rd, 54^th, and 56^th street from 52^nd to the Schuylkill Expressway
• Friday – Cobbs Creek to Passyunk Avenue from 53^rd and 54^th Street to 74^th Street

During the week of July 15, the neighborhoods of Gray’s Ferry, Point Breeze, Center City, Pennsport, Society Hill, Old City and Chinatown will be the focus.

• Monday – Vine to Morris streets from Delaware Avenue to 6^th Street
• Tuesday – Schuylkill Expressway to 21^st Street from Dickinson to Vine Street
• Wednesday – 21^st to 16^th streets from Morris Street to Vine Street
• Thursday – 16^th Street to 11^th Street from Morris Street to Vine Street
• Friday -- 11^th Street to 6^th Street from Morris Street to Vine Street

During the week of July 22, the neighborhoods of East Passyunk, Girard Estates, Packer Park and the Stadium District will be the focus.

• Monday – Pattison Avenue to Morris Street from Christopher Columbus Avenue to 5^th Street
• Tuesday – Dickinson to Oregon Avenue from Vare Avenue & 35^th Street
• Wednesday – 21^st Street to 16^th Street from Oregon Avenue to Morris Street/Packer Avenue to Pattison Avenue from 26^th Street to 10^th Street
• Thursday – Morris Street to Schuylkill Expressway from 20^th and 16^th streets, 11^th and 10^th streets
• Friday – Morris Street to Pattison Avenue from 11^th Street to 6^th Street

During the week of July 29, the neighborhoods of Logan, Ogontz, West Oak Lane, Germantown, East Mount Airy and Nicetown will be the focus.

• Monday – Germantown to Stenton from Washington Lane/Haines to Ivy Hill/Mt. Pleasant
• Tuesday – Ivy Hill Road to Washington Lane from Cheltenham Avenue to Stenton
• Wednesday – Washington Lane to Broad from Cheltenham Avenue to Stenton/Chelten
• Thursday – Chelten to Roosevelt Boulevard/Germantown Avenue from Broad to Wister/Logan/18^th
• Friday – Washington Lane to Wister/Windrim from Germantown Avenue to Stenton

Fur the full August schedule, click here.

What agencies are part of the One Philly, United Citywide Cleaning and Greening Program?

“Multiple departments and supporting agencies will touch every neighborhood of the city by performing a quality-of-life service from illegal dumping remediation to graffiti removal," Williams said in a news release. "To lay the groundwork for the long-term cleaning program, crews will provide a detailed cleaning of the city, in every neighborhood."

The list of participating agencies is as follows:

• Office of Clean and Green Initiatives
• Sanitation Department
• Office of the Mayor
• Community Life Improvement Program
• Commerce Department’s Taking Care of Business
• Police Department’s Neighborhood Services Unit
• Philadelphia Parks and Recreation
• Philadelphia Water Department
• Philadelphia Parking Authority
• Licenses and Inspections
• Department of Streets
• SEPTA
• Philadelphia School District
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

The plan goes far beyond cleaning up trash and sweeping streets, with potholes, illegal dumping, abandoned cars and blighted properties also set to be addressed.

What can people expect to see in their neighborhood?

"The Sanitation-led cleaning program will be coordinated with other City agencies to simultaneously address major quality of life issues and clean additional public spaces in each Sanitation district," the city said.

What's included?

• Maintenance and repair of vacant lots and removal of graffiti by CLIP.
• Commercial corridor cleaning by the Commerce Department’s PHL Taking Care.
• Deep cleans of at least three neighborhood parks and rec centers by PPR.
• Cleaning and lawn maintenance at between 10-20 neighborhood schools by SDP of Business program; facilities teams.
• Inspection, cleaning, sealing, and enforcement of nuisance properties by L+I.
• Removal of unregistered and abandoned automobiles by PPA and PPD.
• Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) and inlet maintenance by PWD.
• Pothole paving by the Streets Department.
• Transit station cleanings by SEPTA.

"Each agency will be charged with tracking data and capturing the work performed so the city and partners can have a full view of the results of this effort."

The City is tracking it all on the We Are One Philly, A United City clean and green website.

“Cleaning every neighborhood, every block at a time by fixing potholes, fixing abandoned property, vacant cars, abandoned autos," Williams said two weeks ago. "We got the people here to do it we’re excited."

Past Philadelphia locations that were cleaned

During the week of June 3, the neighborhoods of Frankford, Juniata, Harrowgate, Kensington, Richmond and Bridesburg were the focus.

• Monday - Kensington Avenue from Torresdale to Delaware avenues and from Willard to Walbach streets.
• Tuesday - C Street to Kensington Avenue and Erie to Frankford avenues, Emerald Street and Kensington Avenue.
• Wednesday - Roosevelt Boulevard to Erie Avenue and from Oxford, Frankford and Kensington avenues to Weymouth Street.
• Thursday - Cheltenham to Torresdale avenues plus Kensington from Oxford and Frankford to Torresdale avenues.
• Friday - Frankford to Delaware avenues plus River from West Moreland to C streets.

During the week of June 10, the neighborhoods of Hunting Park, Olney, Fern Rock, East Oak Lane, Feltonville and Franklin were the focus.

• Monday - Broad to Franklin streets as well as 6th and 7 streets from Louden to Cheltenham avenues.
• Tuesday - Front Street with 2nd to 8th streets and Franklin Street from Cheltenham to Sommerville avenues.
• Wednesday - Broad Street to 6th Street from Louden Street to Glenwood Avenue.
• Thursday - Roosevelt Boulevard to Glenwood Avenue from 6th to C streets.
• Friday - Cheltenham Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard from 2nd and Front streets plus 7th Street to Adams, Tabor, Godfrey and Whitaker avenues.

During the week of June 17, the neighborhoods of Glenwood, Strawberry Mansion, Brewerytown, Tioga and Allegheny West were the focus.

• Monday - Pennsylvania Avenue to Diamond Street from 33rd to 25th streets.
• Tuesday - Glenwood Avenue to Vine Street from 20th and 18th streets to Broad Street.
• Thursday - Fox and 24th streets to Broad Street from Sedgley, Lehigh and Glenwood avenues to Yelland and Hunting Park avenues.
• Friday - Vine Street to Sedgley and Lehigh avenues from 25th and 20th streets to 18th Street.
• Saturday - 24th, Fox streets, Sedgley and 25th to 33rd streets plus Ridge Avenue from Diamond to Westmoreland streets.

During the week of June 24, the neighborhoods of Fairhill, West Kensington, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, Poplar and Yorktown were the focus.

• Monday - 6th Street to Delaware Avenue and Beach Street from Cecil B. Moore, Norris and York streets to Vine Street.
• Tuesday - Lehigh Avenue to Vine Street from Broad Street to 6th and 7th streets.
• Wednesday - Glenwood to Lehigh avenues and Cecil B. Moore from Broad, 7th and 6th streets to American and 2nd streets.
• Thursday - Venango Street to Indiana Avenue and Cecil B. Moore from American and 2nd streets to Front and C streets.

During the week of July 1, the neighborhoods of East Parkside, Wynnefield, Haddington, Overbrook and Cobbs Creek were the focus.

• Monday - Locust Street to Springfield Avenue and 57th Street and Cobbs Creek Parkward to 52nd and 53rd streets.
• Tuesday - City Avenue to MLK, Girard, Parkside and Upland avenues plus 58th, 57th, 56th and Race streets.
• Wednesday - Upland and 54th streets to Race Street, Lancaster Avenue, Oxford, 58th streets to Malvern, 68th, 67th streets and Dagget and Gross.
• Friday - Lancaster Avenue and Oxford Street to Locust, 59th, 58th streets to 52nd Street.
• Saturday - Race Street to Angora and Cobbs Creek to 57th and 58th streets.