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City of Denton worker demonstrates Multi Hog sweeper used to clean 23 miles of bike lanes
Summary
Sam Patterson of the City of Denton's drainage department demonstrated a Multi Hog street sweeper used to clear debris from about 23 miles of bicycle lanes, saying monthly sweeps help prevent inlet clogs, reduce flooding risk and keep debris out of Lake Louisville.
Sam Patterson, a street sweeper with the City of Denton drainage department, demonstrated the department’s Multi Hog street sweeper and described how it is used to clean bicycle lanes across the city. "This is our Multi Hog," Patterson said, adding that the crews use it to sweep bike lanes and curb lines.
Patterson said the city maintains roughly 23 miles of bicycle lanes and that the department sweeps those lanes "about once a month." He listed common items collected by the machine — "leaves, debris, anything that's in the curb line," and specifically noted tennis shoes, clothing and beer cans among the refuse picked up.
Explaining the environmental rationale, Patterson said, "everything that runs into the storm drain eventually runs into all the creeks and channels in Denton and runs straight to Lake Louisville." He framed the sweeping work as a way to keep material out of inlets that can cause flooding and to reduce pollution reaching local waterways.
Patterson described how the Multi Hog operates: two spinning brooms sweep material to the center of the machine, which lifts the debris under the hopper by vacuum through tubes. "As it comes up, it comes up through these tubes right here, and then everything that we pick up goes right inside that hopper," he said, and crews then empty the hopper back at the yard when it is full.
He also noted a camera mounted on the machine that lets operators monitor the head and spot clogs in real time so crews can stop and clear obstructions. Patterson said that feature helps keep the machine running efficiently during sweeps.
Patterson closed the demonstration by describing the satisfaction he gets from the work: sweeping shows immediate results and, he said, helps keep the town presentable while protecting storm drains.
The demonstration provided a practical look at routine street-sweeping operations used by the drainage department to maintain bicycle lanes and limit debris entering the stormwater system.
