San Francisco is a dense, urban city where many residents rely on cars for transportation. Street sweeping is essential to maintain public health, prevent flooding, and keep our neighborhoods clean—especially in high-traffic areas where debris accumulates quickly.
However, the reality is stark: street cleaning violations are the #1 parking violation in San Francisco, generating over $58 million in revenue annually. While this revenue supports city services, it comes at a significant cost to local residents who face fines of around $100 per ticket.
Our analysis of SFMTA parking citation data reveals the scale of this issue and highlights why tools like Sweep SF are essential for helping residents avoid these costly citations.
Based on SFMTA data from January 2025 through December 2025, street cleaning violations are the #1 parking violation type, accounting for 37.5% of all parking citations issued.
The Problem: With over 580,000 street cleaning tickets issued annually, it's clear that many San Franciscans simply don't know when to move their cars, despite posted signs. Street sweeping must continue—we just need better tools to help residents know when to park and when to move.
Our analysis is based on publicly available data from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the City of San Francisco's open data portal:
We processed over 1.5 million parking citations from the SFMTA dataset from January 1 - December 31, 2025:
Based on our analysis of SFMTA data from January 2025 through December 2025, street sweeping tickets are the most common parking violation in San Francisco, generating over $58 million in revenue annually.
This analysis is based on historical citation data and may not reflect future enforcement patterns. Street sweeping schedules and enforcement practices can and dochange. Always check official signage and city regulations before parking.