Minneapolis and St. Paul begin street sweeping. Don’t get ticketed or towed.

Minneapolis and St. Paul have begun fall street sweeping, and residents need to move their vehicles when their street is being swept.

Street sweeping cleans dirt and leaves from streets to reduce the amount in storm sewers and waterways. The sweeping must be completed before snow or ice inhibits the equipment, according to Lisa Hiebert, public information officer for St. Paul Public Works.

“It’s always a tough challenge when the leaves fall and the snow comes,” Hiebert said. “It’s a very delicate balance.”

In both cities, signs indicating when to move vehicles are posted on the streets 24 hours in advance of the sweep. If residents do not move their vehicles during the sweep, they could be ticketed or towed.

In Minneapolis, residents cannot park on the street being swept from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or until “No Parking” signs have been removed. Residents in St. Paul should not park on streets from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on days when they are being swept.

Residents should not sweep leaves or debris into the street for the city to clean up, as the equipment cannot handle an excess of material, Hiebert said. Garbage and recycling carts need to be stored in their proper locations and not on the street.

St. Paul began its fall street sweeping last week, and the process will take at least six weeks to complete. The city may sweep streets again later this fall, depending on the weather, according to Hiebert. A map detailing when streets will be swept is posted on St. Paul’s website.

Minneapolis street sweeping should be finished after the week of Nov. 11, according to the city’s website. The city posted a street sweeping schedule map online.

Grace Henrie is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.