Fort Collins Becomes the First City to Test New Smart Street Sweeper Technology

Photo 1. One of the sweepers installed with new technology. Photo by Rose Carter.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Clean streets may not be at the forefront of the average person’s mind, but to the Fort Collins Street Department, tapping into cutting edge technology is important to making the streets as clean as possible. The city of Fort Collins is a week into their partnership with Rubicon Global as the first city in the country to try the new street sweeper technology. Rubicon partnered with Fort Collins for a free six-month trial period, according to Larry Schneider, the director of transportation operations in Fort Collins.

THE TECHNOLOGY

Rubicon installed the technology in five out of the six sweepers (the sixth sweeper is impending replacement).

Photo 2. Mounted Camera. Photo by Rose Carter.

“The technology helps the City manage street sweeping routes, dispatching and vehicle location, as well as enabling drivers to flag issues and pathway obstructions throughout the City of Fort Collins,” the press release said.

Photo 3. Computer box near the driver's seat. Photo By Rose Carter.

The technology ensures no streets are missed and that Fort Collins citizens are receiving the best service possible for their tax money. According to Schneider, the new technology will not change current staffing.

HOW THE TECHNOLOGY BENEFITS THE CITY

With the new technology, the Streets Department will be able to look at the city districts and adjust the sweepers’ routes to clean more congested areas as needed.

“A year’s worth of data from the new technology will allow the Streets Department to compare the debris collected from each city district,” Steve Varnell, the senior supervisor of street sweeping, said. “The Streets Department currently tracks the amount of debris dumped from each district, but the new location technology aids in a more complete cleaning resulting in more accurate data.”

The residential streets are cleaned four times per year, but with the technology, the Streets Department will be able to modify routes to clean a neighborhood on the outskirts of town three times and the more congested neighborhood around Colorado State University five times per year.

“Thoroughly cleaned streets will also result in better air quality by eliminating debris in the air,” Varnell said.

HOW THE TECHNOLOGY BENEFITS THE AVERAGE PERSON

The new technology will allow the Streets Department to alert citizens via text or email when they should move their cars. According to Varnell, people call daily asking when the sweepers are coming. They want to know when to move their parked cars away from the curb to make sure the whole street is swept. The Streets Department cannot currently estimate the exact time, but the new technology’s vehicle location estimates within a few hours of when a sweeper will be cleaning the street.

“The City of Fort Collins is always looking to take advantage of technology and data to help improve efficiency,” said Schneider. “Maintenance makes for a better community for our residents.”