Milwaukee spring leaf cleanup; city launches one-time collection
Milwaukee spring leaf cleanup efforts
The Milwaukee Department of Public Works will conduct a one-time spring leaf collection starting March 16 after early snow and late-falling leaves disrupted fall pickup and left piles on city streets through winter.
MILWAUKEE - Warm temperatures across Milwaukee have many residents tackling a chore left over from fall, as the city prepares for a one-time spring leaf collection.
What we know:
On a day that felt like spring, piles of leaves lined streets across Milwaukee after an unusual fall season left many behind.
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works says early snow combined with leaves falling later in the season disrupted the normal fall collection cycle, leaving some neighborhoods with matted leaves that sat through the winter.
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City officials say the issue has become the most common concern residents are raising.
DPW says crews never stopped collecting leaves, but those same crews were also responsible for snow and ice removal throughout the winter.
"What we are excited to be able to do to really just pick up where we left off in the fall, is do a one-time spring leaf collection – which we don’t normally see in the city," said Department of Public Works spokesperson Tiffany Shepherd. "We’ve never stopped picking up leaves, we just weren’t able to do the full cycle like we would normally do in the fall time."
That final leaf collection cycle begins March 16.
What they're saying:
Residents across the city are already preparing.
"It feels like it is fall right now, having to take care of my leaves," said Samantha Lee of Milwaukee. "Raking it up so I can have my grass grow again."
"They are really matted down. It's going to be hard to pick them up," said resident Daniele Dechamps. "It would be good if people would get their leaves out again and be able to get them picked up."
"I’m going to rake these all to the side and the ones – they blow over to the house over there, so I’m going to put them on the street," said another Milwaukee resident, Jim Peterson.
Milwaukee spring leaf cleanup; rake leaves into street before March 15
The Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) announced on Friday, Feb. 27, that it is offering a one-time spring leaf cleanup opportunity.
For the first time outside the city’s Project Clean & Green program, sanitation crews will collect paper bagged leaves curbside.
Dig deeper:
Residents must submit a request through the MKE Mobile Action app for bagged leaf pickup, but DPW says no request is needed for leaves raked directly into the street.
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City officials say residents should rake leaves into the street by next Sunday, so crews can begin pickup Monday.
They ask for patience, noting it will likely take a couple of weeks for crews to get through the entire city, and if snow returns crews will focus on winter operations before returning to leaf collection.
Additional information is available at milwaukee.gov/leaves. Beginning March 16, a progress map will be available on the website showing the status of the final leaf collection cycle.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Department of Public Works.