‘The Claw’ for cyclists? Sacramento volunteers launch bike lane sweepers
Funded through a SMUD grant, the sweepers are helping clear hazards from bike lanes one ride at a time.
PICKED IT UP. THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES. WELL, SACRAMENTO HAS SPENT YEARS EXPANDING ITS NETWORK OF BIKE LANES AND TRAILS, BUT BUILDING THEM IS ONLY PART OF THE EQUATION. KEEPING THEM CLEAN AND SAFE IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE. KCRA 3’S DUNCAN CORTEZ JOINS US NOW. SO THERE’S A UNIQUE VOLUNTEER EFFORT THAT’S GOING ON RIGHT NOW TO TRY AND TACKLE THIS PROBLEM. RIGHT. YEAH THERE IS. THINK OF IT AS THE VERSION OF THE CLAW. BUT FOR BICYCLISTS. RIGHT WHERE THE CITY OF TREES, WE GOT A LOT OF LEAVES THAT COME DOWN, DEBRIS, GLASS. AND MY LITTLE FRIEND HERE CALLED THE MUNCH VERY UNIQUELY NAMED AS POWERED BY A BATTERY BRISTLE. AND THEN IT’S CONNECTED TO AN ELECTRIC BIKE AND A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION HERE IN SACRAMENTO IS DOING THE GOOD WORK OF REMOVING ALL THAT DEBRIS HERE OF BIKE LANES. WE GOT A FIRSTHAND LOOK OF HOW IT WORKS OUT. SACRAMENTO DRIVERS HAVE THE CLAW CYCLISTS NOW HAVE SOMETHING OF THEIR OWN. WE HAVE SUCH GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IF IT’S NOT CLEAN, IT’S NOT USEFUL. IT’S A DIFFERENT CLEANUP CREW. IT’S ROLLING ON TWO WHEELS. THERE’S A SEPARATE E-BIKE BATTERY THAT WILL SPIN THAT BRUSH BACK THERE. IT PUSHES ALL OF THE DEBRIS UP AND INTO THE BINS IN THE BACK, PULLED BEHIND ELECTRIC BIKES. THESE COMPACT MACHINES PATROL SACRAMENTO’S 255 MILES OF BIKE LANES, VACUUMING UP THE LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE A SMOOTH RIDE BUMPY. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IT PICKS UP? IT’LL PICK UP GLASS LEAVES, BRANCHES, ROCKS, ALL KINDS OF DEBRIS THAT GETS STUCK IN BIKE LANES THAT CAN CAUSE HAZARDS FOR CYCLISTS MAY BE SMALL, BUT THEY HAVE BIG APPETITES. THE VOLUNTEERS CALL THEM CRUNCH AND MUNCH MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A SMUD GRANT. ONLY TWO IN SACRAMENTO AND NOWHERE ELSE. YEAH, THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO IN SACRAMENTO. THE MACHINES MAY DO THE SWEEPING, BUT THEY DON’T GET FAR WITHOUT THE PEOPLE PEDALING THEM. RIGHT NOW OUR TEAM, WE HAVE 3 OR 4. SO THIS IS WHERE WE’RE TRYING TO REALLY EXPAND OUT. IT’S GOING TO TAKE A VILLAGE TO REALLY GET THESE THINGS OUT THERE AND KEEPING THEM SWEEPING. DENZIL CORTEZ, KCRA THREE NEWS. YEAH. SO THEY’RE GOING TO BE HOLDING AN EVENT HERE SHORTLY IN 30 MINUTES, TRYING TO EXPAND THAT 3 TO 4 TEAM THEMSELVES TO JUST EDUCATE PEOPLE HOW TO USE THIS. NOW NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED. YOU COULD RIDE A BIKE, GET ON IT, AND IT’S ALL ELECTRIC POWERED. AND I THINK THE PRETTY COOL THING HERE IS OBVIOUSLY, LIKE I SAID, SO MUCH LEAVES, SO MUCH DENSITY HERE. AND IT IS LIKE THE MINI CLAW ON TWO WHEELS. I THOUGHT IT WAS SUPER INTERESTING AND EXCITING FOR A BIG BICYCLE COMMUNITY HERE IN SACRAMENTO. I’M GONNA SEND IT BACK TO YOU GUYS IN THE STUDIO. YEAH, CERTAINLY A HUGE BICYCLE COMMUNITY HERE. SO WHERE ARE THESE KIND OF MINI CLAWS MADE AND WHERE’S THE NEAREST ONE THAT HAS THEM AVAILABLE? YEAH. SO ANDREA, IT’S DESIGNED IN THE BAY AREA, BUILT IN VANCOUVER, AND IT’S ALL PART OF A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. THEY’RE NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE CITY. THAT’S DOING OUT OF THE KINDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS. SO THEY’RE GOING TO BE OUT HERE EDUCATING VIEWERS, EDUCATING RESIDENTS THAT WANT TO COME OUT HERE AND JUST LEARN HOW TO USE THIS DEVICE AND TOOL ALL FREE HERE AT THE ROOSEVELT PARK. COME AT 530. SO PRETTY EXCITING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS BIKE COMMUNITY I
‘The Claw’ for cyclists? Sacramento volunteers launch bike lane sweepers
Funded through a SMUD grant, the sweepers are helping clear hazards from bike lanes one ride at a time.
Updated: 7:27 PM PDT Jul 10, 2026
As Sacramento continues expanding its network of bike lanes, one local advocacy group is working to help keep them clean.The Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates has launched two bike lane sweepers designed to remove broken glass, gravel, leaves and other debris that can create hazards for cyclists. The sweepers, purchased through a SMUD SHINE grant, are towed behind electric bikes and operate separately from the City of Sacramento’s street maintenance program.”It is a similar concept, but ours is at a community scale,” said Julian Hernandez with the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates. “We’re trying to help the city fill in the gaps there, keep those bike lanes clean.”Hernandez said broken glass, wet leaves and other debris can lead to flat tires or cause cyclists to lose control. The organization says its two sweepers, nicknamed Crunch and Munch, are the only ones of their kind in Sacramento.The nonprofit hopes to grow its volunteer team so more neighborhoods and bike routes can be covered.”Right now, we’re trying to really expand out,” Hernandez said. “It’s going to take a village to really get these things out there and keep them sweeping.”For more information on how you can join the SABA Bike Sweeper program , visit here.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
As Sacramento continues expanding its network of bike lanes, one local advocacy group is working to help keep them clean.
The Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates has launched two bike lane sweepers designed to remove broken glass, gravel, leaves and other debris that can create hazards for cyclists. The sweepers, purchased through a SMUD SHINE grant, are towed behind electric bikes and operate separately from the City of Sacramento’s street maintenance program.
“It is a similar concept, but ours is at a community scale,” said Julian Hernandez with the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates. “We’re trying to help the city fill in the gaps there, keep those bike lanes clean.”
Hernandez said broken glass, wet leaves and other debris can lead to flat tires or cause cyclists to lose control. The organization says its two sweepers, nicknamed Crunch and Munch, are the only ones of their kind in Sacramento.
The nonprofit hopes to grow its volunteer team so more neighborhoods and bike routes can be covered.
“Right now, we’re trying to really expand out,” Hernandez said. “It’s going to take a village to really get these things out there and keep them sweeping.”
For more information on how you can join the SABA Bike Sweeper program , visit here.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google