How Leaf Collection Works
Learn how leaf collection works and what our leaf crews are doing as they work the city section by section.
We have had numerous questions as to why we collect leaves the way that we do while working sections. I would like to take the time to answer some of these questions for you.
1. Why do you only pick one side of the road and not collect the other at the same time?
While working a section we work from the outside of a section first. Every section has an outside and an inside. The outside of the section most often gets collected first. After collection of the outside is complete, we start working the inside of the section. This is a little more complicated as it requires more turns. When we do this, we make right hand turns. We collect leaves down one side of the street and at the end of the block we make another right. When it is the first street, we have collected we drive past the area that we have already collected and down to the next block. This is where we make a right-hand turn and collect the inside of the next street down. When we come to the end of the road, we make another right to collect the other side of the street we have just collected. This continues until the section has been completed. We only make right hand turns because our tube for collecting leaves is on the right-hand side of the trailer and this keeps our equipment moving with the flow of traffic for safety.
2. Why has the rest of the section been collected but not my Dead-end Street?
Dead ends are collected at different times then the rest of the section. These streets require special vehicles that can access the tight spaces. Our Vac trucks collect leaves on dead ends. They work on these areas and tight roads we cannot fit our regular trailer mounted equipment down.
3. Why did they make two passes on my street?
Many yards have leaf piles that were placed or have fallen or blown into the street. Our equipment can not collect both the street and the tree lawn efficiently at the same time requiring us to make two passes. If leaves are placed on the tree lawn this would not be an issue and we could eliminate this step and improve our collection time.
4. Where have you been and when will my leaves be collected?
We update our website nightly with where crews have stopped working for the day and the direction we are headed once the collection resumes. Check leaf collection center HERE to see where we've been and where we're going!
5. What are my other options? Can I bag my leaves or could I mulch them and leave them on my yard?
Its always an option to bag and dispose of your leaves in the garbage tote. It is also an option to mulch the leaves in place on your lawn allowing the nutrients to be absorbed back into the yard.
