Mayor Johnson discusses expanded debris removal efforts with new app in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- As residents continue drying out and cleaning up from recent flooding, the City of Milwaukee is adding new tools to speed recovery.

On Wednesday, Aug. 13, Mayor Cavalier Johnson joined Department of Public Works crews to demonstrate Routeware, an app designed to improve large debris pickup.

"So, when a crew on a regular sanitation route, when they see bulky material at the curb, they can use an app that will then go ahead and take a picture of that bulky material that’s left on the curb and it logs the location," Johnson said.

"All that data is compiled and then the large item pickup crew can get sent right to the location to get those items picked up and take them to the dump."

Previously, crews wrote down locations and waited until the end of their shift to submit them.

City drop-off centers will offer free access through Sunday, Aug. 17 with extended hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.