When was the last time you saw a street sweeping machine and thought, “Aw, isn't that cute?”

The Helena Parking Commission just received a successful bid to purchase an Applied Sweepers Model 525HS “Green Machine” street sweeper, similar to the machine you may have seen around town being used by the city parks department.

Western Plains Machinery, based in Great Falls, submitted the successful bid and will deliver the 525HS in about 90 days, somewhere near the end of the year.

The Green Machine is replacing a 1970s vintage Tennant that was burning a quart of oil every couple hours and recently had a severe rear end failure.

The Helena Business Improvement District is sharing the cost with the Parking Commission, and the machine will be used for parking garages and lots and may find use as part of implementing a Downtown Clean and Safe program.

The Green Machine is a small, modern piece of equipment that can clean a swath of pavement anywhere from 47 inches to 71 inches wide. It features a Kubota turbo-diesel engine designed to be quiet enough to use around pedestrians. With a 16' turning radius and a 23 mph travel speed, it can be driven quickly among the city's parking facilities. The operator sits in the front of the machine and is surrounded on three sides by full-length glass for great visibility and safety.

Watch for the Green Machine in the opening months of 2007. With its tight and efficient, yet heavy duty styling, it's about as cute as a street sweeper can be.