Officials Celebrate the Success of the Historic One Philly, United City Citywide Cleaning Program
The Program Ends With Over 61,000 Quality of Life Services Completed

PHILADELPHIA – On Wednesday, September 4, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker was joined by State and City officials to celebrate the completion of the historic One Philly, United City Citywide Cleaning Program. Over 61,000 quality-of-life services have been completed in every neighborhood over a 13-week period from June 3 through August 30. Over a dozen city departments along with quasi-governmental agencies and nonprofits worked in tandem to employ a proactive and holistic strategy to address the many chronic quality of life issues related to litter, illegal dumping, graffiti, abandoned automobiles, vacant lots, and nuisance properties in support of Mayor Parker’s vision of Philadelphia becoming the safest, cleanest, greenest big city in the nation.

“This all-hands-on-deck effort is the perfect example of intergovernmental collaboration with departments working to create a government every resident can see, touch, and feel,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “We made a massive impact on our city, but we are not done. More efforts led by the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives are coming to make Philadelphia the Safest, Cleanest, Greenest big city in the nation with Access to Economic Opportunity for All.”

To commemorate the program’s success and thank the employees for their hard work in cleaning the city, block by block a celebration barbeque was held at the Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP) Office in the employees’ honor. Officials thanked the employees for their hard work in completing the largest quality-of-life undertaking in the city’s history. A massive effort by over 12 departments and supporting agencies working so every resident can see, feel, and touch the city government.

“I want to thank each and every department and supporting agency that contributed to this massive effort to address multiple quality-of-life issues that impact neighborhoods across the city,” said Carlton Williams, Director of Clean and Green Initiatives. “Thanks to the success of the program and the diligent efforts of our employees the One Philly, United City Citywide Cleaning Program is now standard operating procedure where detailed cleaning will take place in every neighborhood twice yearly.”

During the celebration, newly wrapped Big Belly litter baskets were unveiled with a new feature that captures cigarette litter. Through Mayor Parker’s budget, 1,500 of the new solar-powered litter baskets were funded allowing for double the number of Big Bellies in the city. The litter baskets will be installed along commercial corridors and high pedestrian traffic areas to allow for discarding of litter and pedestrian recycling.

Officials also announce the next phase of sanitation initiatives to sustain the efforts of the Citywide Cleaning Program. Beginning in September the Council District Residential Cleaning Program will commence. Crews will be divided into 10 Council Districts to provide detailed clean and green daily.  In late fall, twice-per-week collections will begin and be phased in various neighborhoods citywide annually. Details of each program will be announced in late September.

The One Philly, United Citywide Cleaning and Greening Program is a full-service cleaning plan supported by the following government agencies: