Maintenance and Landscaping

Visitors to our fair city often point out how clean and comfortable Downtown Fort Worth is.  For that we can thank the Fort Worth Public Improvement District (PID #1), managed by Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.  The PID employs four contrators and supports a variety of maintenance and landscpaing projects which keeps everything looking great, from bus shelters to medians to planter boxes.  Through these efforts, the PID maintains it's 335 square block district as safe, clean and invitaiting enviroment for office workers, residents and visitors.

Streetscape Team

This team of 11 staff members daily sweep more than two million square feet of sidewalks, with a pan and broom or riding sweeper, and removes debris from 12,3000 square feet of planters.  The Streetscape Team provides supplemental pick up of the 176 public aggregate trash cans and ten Big Belly solar powered trash compactors six days a week.  The team also mows more than 50 areas of Downtown greenspace and medians and paints all vertical street furniture on an annual basis.  Insallation of banners along Main, Houston and Throckmorton Streets is also managed by the Streetscape Team and generates more than $30,000 in revenue on an annual basis.  Along with these daily projects, the Streetscape Team also buildings staging and other festival equipment for various special events in the PID.    

 
Street Sweeping Team

The Street Sweeping Team, using a mechanial street sweeper, cleans 50 linear miles of streets, curbs and gutters in the Downtown District twice a week, or as needed.  The team uses both regenerative air street vacuums and street sweepers which utilizes large bruches to pick up gravel and other large debris. 

The Mechanized Cleaning Team

This team of six uses high-pressure hot water cleaning machines and waste water retrieval systems carried by three trucks with trailers.  The contractor also provides a vacuum vehicle, a riding sweeper and a riding scrubber that cleans 50 linear miles of sidewalks daily, weekly or twice monthly based on the intensity of use by pedestrians. 

Landscaping Team

The Streetscape Team also maintains the landscaping of 12,300 square feet of Downtown planters located along Main, Houston and Throckmorton Streets.  New landscaping is planted three times a year assuring year-round blooms and color for everyone to enjoy.  Trees are pruned annually and shrubs as needed, along with regular work to maintain the irrigation systems for each planter.  In addition, the team is responsible for mowing various grassy areas in the 335 acre PID.

Bird Abatement 

Birds, especially grackles, can be a fowl nuisance Downtown.  The PID hires specialized contractors to remove Grackles and other birds during the fall and winter months.  In many neighborhoods and shopping areas Grackles have become a significant problem and can also poze a public health hazard.  The PID, has used inovative techiniques such as laser lights and Harris Hawks to eliminate nuisance birds and now serves as a model for other public improvement districts in Texas. 

Tree Lights

The bright lights in the branches make Downtown sparkle thanks to the PID.  The team trims all the trees and repairs the lights annually.

Special Services

On occassion, the PID's Maintenance and Landscaping Division also manages special maintenance projects to keep the Downtown Public Improvement District in top-notch appearance.  This year the team repaired concrete planter boxes along Houston and Throckmorton streets after they were shattered by the growth of tree roots.  A turnbuckle and chain was installed inside each planter and then affixed to iron Texas stars visable on the outside of the box.  This inexpensive and attractive solution saved not only the concrete planter boxes but also the beautiful, large oak trees for several more years. 

The Streetscape Team also provides set-up and maintenance for special events and festivals sponsored by DFWI and DFWII.

If you see them at work, be sure to thank them!