This morning the city of Chicago is launching an effort to clean up hundreds of streets, alleys and vacant lots surrounding 150 schools along Safe Passage routes in preparation for the upcoming school year.

Crews have been dispatched from multiple agencies including the Department of Streets and Sanitation and CDOT, the Chicago Department of Transportation to trim trees, remove graffiti and debris, and to clean up vacant lots along safe passage routes.

The CPS Safe Passage program assigns workers and other resources along routes at over 150 schools citywide. Not only keeping children safe on their commutes to and from school, the program boasts proven crime-reducing results.