Mayor Cara Spencer and City of St. Louis Introduce New Street Sweeper for Protected Bike Lanes
The City of St. Louis is taking a big step towards maintaining cleaner and safer bike lanes with the introduction of a new street sweeper. Mayor Cara Spencer and the City’s Street Department will unveil the 5-foot wide sweeper, nicknamed “Archie” in honor of the iconic Gateway Arch, on Monday, August 4 at 9:00 a.m.
The Green Machine 636, as it is officially known, is equipped with both sweeper and vacuum capabilities to effectively pick up trash, dirt, and debris from protected bike lanes, shared use paths, pedestrian facilities, and other small infrastructure that a regular street sweeper may not be able to reach.
Archie’s Inaugural Sweep
The first sweep by Archie will take place on Monday, August 4 at 9:00 a.m. at the protected bike lanes on the 2200 block of Scott Ave. Parking is available at the East end of the block, just East of Jefferson Ave.
Details of the New Street Sweeper
The new street sweeper, nicknamed “Archie” in honor of the Gateway Arch, is equipped with both sweeper and vacuum capabilities to effectively pick up trash, dirt, and debris from the public right of way. It will be used to maintain protected bike lanes, shared use paths, pedestrian facilities, and other small infrastructure that a regular sweeper may not be able to reach.
Unveiling Event Details
What: New Bike Lane Street Sweeper Unveiled
When: Monday, August 4, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
Where: 2200 Scott Ave. St. Louis, MO 63103 (Parking available at the East end of Scott)
Who: City of St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer, City of St. Louis Street Department, Alderwoman Laura Keys (11th Ward), Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer (1st Ward)
Purpose and Capabilities of Archie
The purpose of the new street sweeper, nicknamed “Archie” in honor of the Gateway Arch, is to maintain cleaner and safer bike lanes by sweeping protected bike lanes, shared use paths, pedestrian facilities, and other small infrastructure that a regular sweeper may not be able to reach. It has a sweeping width of 5 feet and a maximum of 6.25 feet, and will be used as needed or by request as the City learns more about its capabilities, such as how many miles can be swept in a day and how quickly the hopper fills up.
Possible Locations for Sweeping
The City of St. Louis plans to use Archie to clean various locations, including the Union Boulevard protected bike lane, 7th Street cycle track, Tower Grove Connector, Gateway Mall, and pedestrian walkways on overpasses and bridges. Further schedules will be developed after meeting with other agencies to compile a list of all locations that can be cleaned using Archie.
