Holding a parade on one of Gainesville's main roads can mean a lot of extra planning for city employees.
Keeping the preparation and cleanup for the parade a smooth operation takes a team effort from Gainesville's Public Works Department and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
Employees of each department start preparing for the event by helping Gainesville Police block traffic around University Avenue, Public Works spokeswoman Gina Hawkins said.
With the roads shut down, many city bus routes will also be on a reduced schedule from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., according to a release from the Regional Transit System.
City routes 21 and 36 and campus route 121 will not run at all today, the release stated.
As soon as the parade is over, cleanup work begins.
Employees follow the parade in street sweepers that "are worth their weight in gold" for how helpful they are, Hawkins said.
With 30 employees, two street sweepers and two garbage trucks, it takes about three hours to clear University Avenue of litter, she said.
Steve Joplin, operations supervisor with the Solid Waste Division, said it is important for all the departments to pool their resources for the cleanup because none has enough personnel or equipment to accomplish it alone.
