Milwaukee snow cleanup continues; trash, recycling pickup suspended

Milwaukee snow cleanup continues after winter storm

Snow cleanup continues across Milwaukee after a daylong storm on Saturday, Nov. 29, with crews focusing on side streets and salting as temperatures drop and officials suspend trash pickup on Monday to aid snow operations.

MILWAUKEE - Cleanup crews are racing across southeast Wisconsin after a daylong snowstorm blanketed homes, driveways and sidewalks, with residents wasting little time digging out once the flakes stopped falling.

Main roads cleared first, side streets fall behind

What we know:

On Milwaukee’s south side, the contrast became clearer by the hour. At Morgan Avenue and Kansas Avenue — about eight hours after snow stopped falling — busy roads like Morgan were largely cleared, while side streets continued to lag behind.

That included Kansas Avenue, where the Milwaukee Department of Public Works was still working through heavy piles of snow mixed with leaves that had already been set out for pickup and now blocked portions of the roadway on Sunday afternoon.

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DPW officials said about 150 workers were deployed to clear the city’s roughly 7,000 miles of roadways, a process that typically takes 24 to 48 hours.

Trash, recycling on hold

Dig deeper:

Because of the ongoing snow response and the need to complete full curb-to-curb plowing and salting on residential streets, DPW said all garbage and recycling crews will again be reassigned to assist with snow operations. As a result, garbage and recycling collection will be suspended on Monday, Dec. 1.

Sanitation crews are expected to return to regular duties Tuesday, working extended 10-hour shifts throughout the week to complete all delayed collections. 

Residents are asked to place carts out on their normal collection day, leave them out until collected, and clear snow and ice from around and on top of carts, so crews can access them.

What you can do:

To confirm your normal collection schedule, visit milwaukee.gov/collectionday.

Neighbors worry about car damage

What they're saying:

With temperatures dipping into the single digits, that means all the remaining snow on the road is going to freeze. Residents are hoping to get their streets cleared before the bitter cold leaves them frozen solid. That is adding to their concerns about vehicle damage and accessibility.

"I’m concerned because people need, you know, they don’t want to ruin their cars," said Barbara McKillop, a Milwaukee resident. "I would assume that the city is going to figure this out. They’re going to come sooner or later. Their big plows are going to move it. But, I feel like they’ve forgotten, they’ve forgotten to come back."

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"It's the least you can do," said neighbor Ayrton Bryan about shoveling. "People get stuck. It's already annoying to have to try and find a spot, so being a good neighbor."

City officials said snow removal will continue overnight while crews also focus on laying down salt, with much of the remaining moisture expected to refreeze as temperatures drop.