Reset San Francisco How To'sIt takes so much to keep our city clean, and now that we’ve made it as the country’s twelfth dirtiest city, this is the moment, if ever there was one, for San Franciscans to hit the streets and pick up the litter and clean the graffiti off our public spaces. 

Around since 1998, the San Francisco Adopt-A-Street program has grown to include thousands of residents, businesses, and neighborhoods. Typically individuals or businesses adopt a minimum of one block or one side of a street, and regularly work to keep the street clean, free of debris and graffiti.

Residents, who get involved, are provided a broom, a rake, compostable leaf bags, trash bags, a dust pan, and gloves by the City to keep the agreed upon area clean. In the event that graffiti removal needs to be done on street fixtures, etc, the Department of Public Works will provide the needed paint. (NOTE: Property owners and tenants with sidewalk access are responsible for keeping their immediate space free of leaves and litter.)

Businesses and associations can also get involved, receive the same supplies as an individual, and if the group wishes to host a community cleanup, the Department of Public Works will help to coordinate the effort. If a street is in particularly bad shape, businesses can order an “Ecoblitz” to have a street aggressively cleaned up by the DPW.

To apply, either email [email protected] with the Adopt-A-Street Application (PDF), or call (415) 641-2625 and speak with a Department of Public Works representative to discuss whether a street is available for adoption (though overlap in adopted streets is a regular occurrence and not problematic). Once you've settled on a street to adopt, the DPW will put your name in a database assigning you to that block or set of blocks, and you can arrange, with the DPW, for the delivery of the supplies to begin caring for your street.

Department of Public Works
Bureau of Street Environmental Services
2323 Cesar Chavez Street
San Francisco, CA 94124-1091