SF’s filthy streets: We’re spending far more on cleaning than other cities

When it comes to street-cleaning costs, San Francisco is in a league of its own. The 47-square-mile city spends more than four times as much as Chicago does to keep streets clean, according to a recent budget and legislative analyst’s report. And Chicago, at 227 square miles, is almost five times larger than San Francisco. San Francisco also spends three times as much as Los Angeles — whose population is more than four times greater.