Neighbors,
The DC Department of Public Works will collect leaves from November 6, 2006 through January 6, 2007. Here are your three options for collection:
1. Rake loose leaves into piles in your curbside treebox space. They will be collected with a vacuum truck;
2. Place bagged leaves in your curbside treebox space and they will be collected by a packer truck; or
3. Because we have alley trash collection, you may place bagged leaves where we put our trash and those leaves will be collected with the trash.
For our area of Ward Five (i.e., Area B), we are to rake leaves into the treeboxes by Sunday, November 12, 2006 and they will be collected by the either by the vacuum truck or, for bagged leaves, the trash truck, between November 13 and November 25, 2006.
We will have a second opportunity to rake our leaves in the treeboxes by Sunday, December 10, 2006, in which case the leaves will be vacuumed or picked up in bags between December 11 and December 23, 2006.
The option of placing bagged leaves in the alley on trash collection day is always available as an alternative to the above two.
Tips from the DPW:
1. The DPW strongly encourages us to take advantage of the vacuuming option, as it is easiest for their trucks and it allows the leaves to be composted for reuse.
2. Rake leaves into a pile in the treebox in front of your property, not into the street. Leaves in the street create parking problems and fire hazards.
3. Rake leaves into treebox spaces by the Sunday prior to your areas scheduled collection.
4. Please — leaves only. No tree limbs, bricks, dirt, rocks, etc. They will damage the equipment and slow down collection.
5. Leaves from the rear of your property may be bagged and placed in the front tree box area or wherever your trash is normally collected.
6. DPW will vacuum leaves at least twice from each street during leaf season.
7. On the first pass, crews will focus on vacuuming treebox spaces and clearing potentially hazardous situations. A more thorough cleaning will occur on subsequent passes.
8. Keep catch basins clear of loose leaves and debris.
9. Neighborhood schedules have been developed based on past leaf falls but no two seasons are exactly the same. Please be patient.
10. If DC gets an early snowfall, scheduled service will be delayed. Leaf collection crews and trucks are also used to clear streets of snow.
Hope this information helps!
Best,
Jim Berry
ANC 5C