Philadelphia starts summer cleanup to put an end to ‘Filthadelphia'

Let the summer-long cleanup begin. Philadelphia on Monday, June 3, 2024, started its ambitious 13-week plan to clean up every block of the city.

“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. “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.”

Carlton Williams, director of the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, noted at a Friday news conference how the new plan will be carried forward.

“We believe in the theory of broken windows,” Williams said, “In that if you allow things to go unkept and undone, chaos and other things will follow. So, it’s important that residents see that we care.”

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What's the schedule for 2024 One Philly, United Citywide Cleaning and Greening Program?

The city laid out the full 13-week cleaning and greening schedule, starting in the Frankford, Kensington, Harrowgate, Bridesburg, Juniata and Richmond neighborhoods in the first week.

It all started on Monday, June 3, 2024 in Kensington.

• 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.

"The plan utilizes the Department of Sanitation’s pre-established collection routes to implement a comprehensive cleaning strategy with collection services allowing for the cleaning of each neighborhood," the city said. "Cleaning teams will work, in tandem, in each sanitation district until all neighborhoods are cleaned. Litter and trash are most visible on trash and recycling days. Cleaning teams will be assigned to a route and will be scheduled to work a day behind the areas trash and recycling collection day to maximize impact."

On Monday afternoon, plenty of trash and debris could still be seen on the ground in the Kensington neighborhood.

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 13-week-or-so 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."

When will the crew be in my neighborhood?

During the week of June 3, the neighborhoods of Frankford, Juniata, Harrowgate, Kensington, Richmond and Bridesburg will be the focus. (As mentioned above)

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

For the rest of the schedule, click here.