To succeed, a downtown must pay attention to the basics first—specifically, ensuring that downtown is clean and green. Our organization spends a large part of our budget doing just that!

The BID’s Clean Sweep Program

The Clean Sweep program is designed to improve the cleanliness in the downtown. Due to the sheer volume of pedestrians on the streets, particularly during lunchtime and in the evening, litter accumulates and garbage containers can overfill. Our Clean Team provides supplemental sanitation services to ensure that our downtown is as clean as possible. From 7 a.m. -4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, our team removes litter from street planters, the sidewalks, crosswalks and 18 inches from the curb and ensure that trash cans don’t overflow.  They also remove flyers, stickers and bills from public street furniture.

The Clean Sweep Program does not replace the responsibilities of the City of White Plains, nor the legal requirement of merchants and property owners to keep their sidewalks swept. Rather, it is designed to supplement what is already being done, bringing our downtown corridor to a higher standard. 

The Clean Sweep Program is more than a cleaning program. It also aimed at improving the image and the perception of the downtown. The program signals to residents, visitors, and workers that the City and the BID believe it is worthwhile to invest further in the City. The cleaner the downtown, the more willing people are to come down to shop, eat, and spend their leisure time. The program has been praised by property owners, retailers and visitors alike for the marked improvement downtown.

Gum Busting & Power Washing

The BID operates a gum Buster machine that removes gum from the sidewalks by using steam and a non-toxic chemical solution. The gum dissolves in seconds leaving the sidewalk gum free. Look for the street sweepers with their gum removal machine on your block. To learn more about the equipment and the impressive results log on to: www.gumbusters.com. Additionally, the BID regularly power washes high trafficked parts of the district’s sidewalks.

Street Furniture Maintenance

Every Wednesday a special projects coordinator on the Clean Team addresses issues beyond litter removal. Effective 2024, the BID began assisting the City of White Plains in its maintenance of street furniture (benches, tree guards, etc.) by painting those items that were chipped and rusty.

Downtown Greening

Data shows that downtowns with robust green spaces and plants perform better than those without. For many years our organization has maintained dozens of planters along E. Post Road, Mamaroneck Avenue, Hamilton Avenue, Church Street and Martine, supplementing the City of White Plains’ robust planter program. In 2024 we also adopted the garden in front of the Starbucks at Renaissance Plaza, transforming it into a flower-filled oasis.