Street Maintenance Workers

Working Schedule

• Street Maintenance Workers work full-time, with potential morning, night, weekend, and holiday shifts. They may be on call to respond to emergency situations.

Typical Duties

• Inspect road and sidewalk areas to look for hazards or damage
• Collaborate with city agencies and contractors on projects
• Prepare job sites as needed, such as setting up traffic barricades or lane closures
• Direct traffic away from working road crews
• Use heavy equipment such as jackhammers to break up old pavement
• Shovel and haul soil, sand, gravel, cement, asphalt mixes, etc.
• Mix concrete and cement
• Use hand tools (picks, shovels, rakes, rollers, etc.) for small tasks
• Repair and maintain roads, sidewalks, curbs, and drainage systems
• Lay and smooth asphalt and oil spray. Measure surfaces and paint road lines, curbs, and crosswalks
• Assist with installing and maintaining street signs, street lights, and traffic signals
• Remove or paint over graffiti
• Clean and clear streets, including sweeping debris and removing snow buildup
• Assist with road widening projects
• Respond to road-related emergencies
• Operate vehicles such as trucks, dump trucks, tractors, asphalt rollers, sweepers, snowplows, and potentially backhoes or front loaders

Additional Responsibilities

• Clean up work sites after job completion
• Follow safety procedures and wear suitable personal protective equipment
• Ensure proper handling and disposal of hazardous materials
• Keep up-to-date with industry best practices
• Train new workers
• Manage supply and material inventories
• Document maintenance activities
• Perform weed abatement. Apply herbicides as needed

Soft Skills

• Adaptability
• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Physical stamina
• Problem-solving abilities
• Safety-oriented
• Teamwork
• Time management

Technical Skills

• Basic carpentry, masonry, and pipefitting skills
• Blueprint and technical drawing reading
• Breaker hammers (aka jackhammers), air compressors, and pneumatic air tools
• Environmental and Department of Transportation regulations and practices
• Operating vehicles (such as trucks, dump trucks, tractors, bulldozers, graders, asphalt rollers, sweepers, snowplows, backhoes, front loaders, etc.)
• Road maintenance techniques, materials, and hand tool use
• Safety protocols and regulations. CPR and first aid    
• Stump grinding
• Wear of personal protective equipment (such as gloves, goggles, safety-toed boots, and hearing protection)

• Municipal government and public works agencies
• Private construction and maintenance companies
• State and federal transportation departments

Potholes and problems with streets and pavement can be a major nuisance for residents. That’s why there’s a great demand for the services of Street Maintenance Workers, who often work in demanding conditions and extreme weather to get things fixed.

They may operate in heavy traffic areas and must keep a close eye out for oncoming vehicles, falling tree limbs, wildlife, debris from construction zones, and other potential hazards.

Physical endurance is crucial, as they regularly perform strenuous tasks such as lifting heavy materials, operating machinery, and working for long periods. They have also got to stay flexible when they’re on call for emergencies like floods or unexpected infrastructure failures. This unpredictability of schedules can disrupt one’s work-life balance sometimes, but being adaptable is part of this unique job! 

Sustainability practices are becoming more prevalent in street maintenance, such as the use of eco-friendly recycled asphalt and permeable pavements. Green methods like cold patch asphalt repair and solar-powered street lights are also being adopted to reduce energy consumption.

Technological innovation is another trend, as the industry turns to automated and remote-controlled equipment to ensure workers can perform their tasks safely and efficiently. For example, in smart cities, Street Maintenance Workers might use sensors for real-time road condition monitoring, GPS for optimized routing, and data analytics for predictive maintenance. These technologies enable timely repairs and reduce costly last-minute emergency situations.

Street Maintenance Workers usually grow up being physically active outdoors. They likely had an interest in working with their hands and building or fixing things, too.