Public Works Now Using Ravo i501 Series Sweeper

The benefits of street sweeping go well beyond the aesthetic appeal of having clean, well-kempt streets. Street sweeping not only includes the removal of debris (pine straw, leaf litter, etc.) from the roadways, but this maintenance practice also prevents debris buildup which otherwise would end up in the storm drain system, leading to potential flooding on the roadways.

Street sweeping is performed by two employees in The Landings Association’s Construction Department who, under a 10-day work cycle, ensure that all 91 miles of roadway in The Landings are routinely swept and free of debris. Over the last couple of years, the department’s TYMCO sweeper experienced extensive maintenance issues wherein some months only one sweeper was fully operational.

After extensive research along with a month-long test rental of a Ravo unit, the Association purchased a Ravo i501 series pure vacuum compact sweeper (informally known as R2D2). The Ravo unit is smaller and more compact, which allows greater maneuverability around center islands and the hammer-head streets. The most notable difference between the Ravo and the TYMCO is the amount of material the machine holds. The Ravo unit only requires one-to-two disposals of collected material as opposed to the TYMCO’s six-to-seven. Decreasing the number of required transfers has drastically increased the efficiency of the sweeping cycles by saving approximately two hours of employee time otherwise lost using the TYMCO machine. The time savings and increased efficiencies the new sweeper provides are two things all of us can support!