The Street Operations division is responsible for maintaining unpaved roads, shoulders, and alleyways…and a whole lot more:

• 8000+ Drainage Assets
• 232 bridge structures
• 220 acres of washes
• 37.50 miles of unpaved roads
• 103.45 miles of shoulders
• 94.06 miles of unpaved alleys
• 80 miles of multiuse paths and unpaved trails

Streets crews inspect and repair city drainage assets annually, including:

• culverts
• catch basins
• handrails
• valley gutters
• scuppers
• street grates on city right-of-way
• inspect washes, channels, and retention bases

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

Drainage asset inspections and maintenance are part of the city’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The NPDES permit is an element of the Clean Water Act and addresses water pollution by monitoring sources that discharge pollutants including channels, ditches, and culverts.

Learn more about Stormwater and Floodplain Management in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale's Streets crews maintain more than 37 miles of unpaved roads. Grading is scheduled every four to six weeks and dust palliative treatments are applied two times a year in the Spring and Fall. Crews also maintain select private unpaved roads to provide access for emergency and solid waste services. Maricopa County mandates that roads with more than 120 vehicles per day are treated for dust control.

Road shoulders also require maintenance throughout the year. This work includes trimming overgrown vegetation adjacent to roads to improve driver visibility and preserve on-street bike lanes. The trimming also helps establish a natural fire break 12-feet from the road. Graded shoulders improve the roadway transition and create a smooth and safe surface for vehicles.

As part of the city's conversion from alley to curbside trash collection program, Streets crews implemented a comprehensive clean-up program to service alleyways. Scottsdale has 95 miles of alleys that are divided into 44 quarter-sections. Alley service includes removal of litter and debris, overgrown vegetation, surface grading, and application of a dust palliative treatment.

Alley service cycles operate on a five-year rotating schedule.

The city's alley clean-up program plays an important role in alley maintenance, however keeping alleys clear of litter and debris is the responsibility of private property owners. Alleys exist in the city right-of-way or on easements dedicated to the city on private property. Just like city sidewalks, maintenance of alleys is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. Property owners are responsible for maintaining adjacent alleys from the edge of their property to the centerline of the alley. Maintenance helps preserving access for public uses of the alley by emergency and solid waste vehicles.

Scottsdale's extensive multiuse path and unpaved trail systems are maintained by Street Operations crews who help ensure that the system surfaces are smooth and free of obstructions. The work includes replacing uneven or damaged pavement and sweeping 124 miles of multiuse paths monthly. Trail maintenance includes the removal of overgrown vegetation and restoring damaged or eroded path surfaces.

The Street Operations On-Call team responds to monsoon storm damage from June 1 to October 31. Crews are on-call 24-7 to remove debris from roadways after storm events. City washes and arroyos channel monsoon storm water to a series of catch basins throughout the city. These washes and arroyos cross several city roadways and, when full of storm water, deposit sand, gravel, and vegetation onto city streets. Street Operations On-call crews respond in teams of two to provide traffic support while removing sediment from the roadways.

Stormwater debris is hauled to the Streets materials yard where it is combined with clean dirt at a three to one ratio. This process adds fines to the scraped material that is then used to repair unpaved roadways and backfill eroded areas.

Work Zone Safety: The safety of our crews, and the traveling public, is of upmost importance especially when crews respond to storm events overnight and during storms. Brightly colored barricades, orange reflectors, and fluorescent green safety vests are designed to attract the attention of motorists and protect crews and equipment working just inches from traffic.

Work with Us | Barricades Keep Everyone Safe: Barricades are also used to prevent vehicles from entering closed roads and washes and to guide vehicles through work zones. The primary responsibility of the On-call team is to clear roadways for the public as safely and as quickly as possible, the work is typically complete within hours of a storm event. Motorists are asked to be on the lookout for traffic barricades on storm event days; and if possible, consider working from home or delaying drive times. Drivers should be prepared for temporary road restrictions and closures on storm event days.