Leaf Collection Dates
We normally collect leaves from November to January.  Leaf Collection is currently scheduled to begin on Monday, November 5, 2012 and continue through mid-January 2013.

Holiday Changes
There is no leaf collection on Monday, November 12 due to the Veterans Day holiday.  Residents on the Monday route will not receive service the week of November 12. 

Leaves are not collected during the holiday weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. 

Inclement Weather Changes
Leaf collection is highly dependent on weather conditions. 

Even if rain or snow has stopped falling, we often do not run our equipment, because heavy, wet leaves can damage the machinery.

How do I report a missed collection?
Before calling to report a missed collection, please check our homepage.  If we have left a route incomplete, we will attempt to provide an update in our NewsFlash.  However, please note that our crews regularly work later in the evening to complete routes - so the trucks may be on their way!

If we have missed your address, please call 301/985-5032 or visit our homepage and click "Service Request."  You'll be able to report your concern, and provide a means for us to follow up with you.

Leaf Collection Dates
There are no changes to the leaf collection routes for this year.  The routes are the same as in 2011.

Each City address is scheduled to receive weekly leaf collection, with the exception of commercial and multi-family properties.  The route maps are as follows:

• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday

Not sure of your date?  Look up your address here.

Several factors determine our ability to complete a route, including weather conditions and equipment maintenance.  While we normally collect during inclement weather, rain and ice weigh down the leaves and limit the vacuum's effectiveness. 

If we cannot complete a route for any reason, the addresses we miss will be prioritized for collection the following week.  Please see the Tips and Hints below for information on helping the City efficiently collect as many leaves as possible.

Tips and Hints
Help us help residents remove as many leaves as possible by:

1. Rake your leaves to the grassy area between the sidewalk and curb, not the street.  If this is not possible on your property, please rake them to the curbline.
2. Have your leaf piles in place by 7:00 a.m. the morning of collection.  Times of collection will vary and we cannot return to an address.
3. Try to avoid parking in front of leaf piles on collection day, or rake your leaves to a place that will not be used for parking.  The leaf vacuum hose does not reach around cars.
4. Please do not mix in limbs, branches or other debris.  These items will damage the leaf vacuum hose and equipment, and can prevent us from completing a route.
5. For residents of the 3100 block of Rosemary Lane: In order for our vacuum equipment to enter your block and safely collect leaves, we are requesting that no vehicles park on the 3100 block of Rosemary Lane on Fridays during the leaf collection season from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. If vehicles are parked on the 3100 block of Rosemary Lane when our equipment arrives to collect leaves, DPW staff will be unable to collect leaves and will attempt to collect them on the following Friday. 
6. For residents of the 5800 block of 30th Avenue (odd side): In order for our vacuum equipment to enter your block and safely collect leaves, we are requesting that no vehicles park on the odd side of the 5800 block of 30th Avenue on Mondays during the leaf collection season from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. If vehicles are parked on the odd side of the 5800 block of 30th Avenue when our equipment arrives to collect leaves, DPW staff will be unable to collect leaves and will attempt to collect them on the following Monday.

If you miss your leaf vacuum day, you may also bag your leaves and put them out for collection as yard waste on Mondays.  The City will collect up to ten bags of leaves from each address.

What Happens to the Leaves?
We bring the leaves to a facility that processes them into compost and mulch, some of which is periodically made available at no charge to residents in our City's parks. 

While the facility is not the same one that processes yard waste, the outcomes are the same - organic material is returned to the Earth.

Questions
For more information or to report a missed collection, you may contact the Department of Public Works, 301/985-5032.