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Conceptually, I think it's great that the City will collect loose leaf piles left by the road. In practice, I don't think it's going well and I was curious what you all think. In my opinion, there are 2 problems:
1. Because loose leaf collection by the City is an option, rather than bag their leaves, folks pile up their leaves in the road by the curb. They're not supposed to do this -- the City's website specifies "Leaf piles should be at the edge of your yard, notin the street" -- but this does not appear to be enforced, as virtually every pile I see is piled up by the curb, spilling into the street. In my neighborhood, some piles are so big they literally block an entire lane of traffic. This is bad for cars and dangerous for people and joggers who have to use the street and are forced to walk down the middle of the road.
2. The City doesn't collect loose leaves often enough. The City is divided into 12 zones, with each zone only being serviced twice per season. That means leaf piles will sit for literally weeks, again, causing an obstruction the entire time, and looking like crap as well.
I understand these leaf collection trucks are probably expensive, but if the City is going to offer the service, thereby encouraging people to take the easier route of simply raking/blowing/sweeping leaves to the curb/road rather than bagging them and disposing with their weekly yard waste collection, I think the City needs to collect more frequently. If that requires the purchase of additional trucks, so be it. In other words, if the City is going to offer the service, I don't think it can do so in a half-assed manner, which seems to be the case currently.
If the City is going to continue the practice of collecting from a neighborhood every other month or less, then I think it needs to begin enforcing its ordinance that leaves should not be piled in the street, and begin issuing citations for violations.
I sound old, but this bugs me every year. I plan to write the City about it, but figured I'd first inquire whether this is something that annoys you all as well.
I understand your gripes, but curbside leaf collection is an awesome service, especially considering how low the taxes are around here. The alternatives are you pay to have a private company pick them up, or you take them to a mulching/recycling center and likely pay a fee there as well.
I understand your gripes, but curbside leaf collection is an awesome service, especially considering how low the taxes are around here. The alternatives are you pay to have a private company pick them up, or you take them to a mulching/recycling center and likely pay a fee there as well.
Well, the other alternative is make people bag them like most other municipalities in the area.
Please don't complain about this. For those that have many trees this service is invaluable and saves a significant amount of time as compared to bagging. I'm talking days.
The bigger danger is people parking on both sides of the streets year round, blocking traffic in neighborhoods. How about complaining about that?
Having leaves piled against the curb is hardly an issue in comparison. The city is providing a valuable service and the alternative is that if enough people complain it will no longer be offered.
Our leaves sat out in front last year for a month. I wasn't happy about it but it is much better than no service at all.
This is a tremendous service, more useful (for me) than backyard trash pick up that used to be offered.
I have so many trees, that the pile is at least two feet high and extends the entire width of my property. When it comes to placement, I try to split the difference and drop right on the curb. Some spills in the street, some spills on the grass, which gets killed off. If put it all in the grass, there would be no visible grass between the curb and the sidewalk, and all my grass would be killed. Many of the neighbors do the same and it's not really much of an issue.
Two cars parking across from each other is more of an issue.
It does seem to take them a while to pick them up. More often would be better, but then look at all the debris on the edges of city streets and intersections. They are filled with gravel, nuts, bolts, nails and all kinds of other stuff that vehicles have dropped or kicked up.
You know the Factory ice rink in Wake Forest? It used to be a factory that made street sweepers, but they went out of business. Not surprising, since obviously Raleigh never bought any.
I love the City's pickup service. After all, it's the "City of Oaks". My volume would fill at least 75 bags, perhaps 100. I'm grateful that I don't have to do that.
The city offers curbside leaf collection? I wasn't even aware of that. How often? Is it free?
I put all my leaves and yard debris either by my curb or in the smaller yard debris green bins and the city picks up weekly at the same schedule as regular waste, so what's the point of the curbside leaf collection?
The city offers curbside leaf collection? I wasn't even aware of that. How often? Is it free?
I put all my leaves and yard debris either by my curb or in the smaller yard debris green bins and the city picks up weekly at the same schedule as regular waste, so what's the point of the curbside leaf collection?
If the City is going to continue the practice of collecting from a neighborhood every other month or less, then I think it needs to begin enforcing its ordinance that leaves should not be piled in the street, and begin issuing citations for violations.
You ain't kidding! I had a discussion about this down the street with a neighbor a few weeks ago. He was blowing his leaves right out in the middle of the road. We almost had a situation I say it's time to issue citations too.
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I say it's time to issue citations too.
