Introducing… Sweeping Beauty!
The Electric Bike Lane Sweeper Cleaning up Hollywood Boulevard.
On Saturday, October 11, SAFE joined Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez and his CD13 team at Barnsdall Art Park to unveil our new electric bike lane sweeper and announce its name, chosen from more than 140 submissions in a community naming competition. The new sweeper, named Sweeping Beauty, is the first of its kind in the City of Los Angeles, and certainly not the last.
The community event, held as part of California Clean Air Day, also featured tabling by the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council and a community mural activity hosted by the Barnsdall Art Center.
The 2.1-mile stretch of protected bike lane along Hollywood Blvd. officially opened last year as part of the city’s Access to Hollywood project. SAFE wanted to ensure the bike lane remains safe and accessible for everyone, so we reached out to Councilmember Soto-Martinez to explore a collaboration to keep the lane clear of debris.
These discussions led to CD13 sponsoring our new electric bike lane sweeper, which will be out on the streets later this month. SAFE’s Clean Ride Crew Coordinator, Kayla Hankins, will begin cleaning the Hollywood Blvd. protected bike lane by pulling the sweeper with an e-bike twice a month.
SAFE is excited to continue working with the city to prioritize road safety for all users. This includes maintaining clean and safe bike lanes, especially at a time when the city’s current maintenance practices often leave them neglected and filled with trash and debris. By prioritizing cleanliness, we make these bike lanes accessible to riders and runners of all ages and abilities, helping create a viable transportation alternative that moves Los Angeles away from car culture.
If you see Kayla and Sweeping Beauty out along Hollywood Blvd., make sure to say hello! And if you would also like to volunteer for future Clean Ride Crew opportunities, SAFE holds a monthly event where we clean and maintain Class I and Class IV bike lanes across LA County to continue to advocate for improved safety and cleanliness on LA’s bike lanes.
