A yard waster truck drives down a neighborhood street. Photo courtesy of the City of East Lansing.
The East Lansing Department of Public Works, or DPW, is extending fall bulk leaf collection on the city’s west side due to this year’s late leaf drop, according to a press release from the city’s Communications Department.
The city’s west side is described as the area from the west city limits at Coolidge and West Road to Abbot Road. Leaves need to be raked to the curb by 7 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 22 in order to be collected.
In order to avoid roadway flooding due to clogged drainage structures, residents should rake leaves to the edge of the road or to the curb rather than into the roadway itself.
The Department of Public Works will review the weather forecast this week to determine an exact schedule for an extension on the city’s east side. The current final week of collection on the east side is the week of Nov. 15.
According to the release, residents should rake fallen leaves to the curb as soon as possible and not wait for possible extensions. This is due to the possibility of a snow event occurring prior to the last leaves falling, as snowfall greatly reduces DPW’s ability to collect leaves because of the equipment and staff required to manage snow removal in the community.
Additionally, if snow does not melt in a timely manner, leaf piles can become buried during snow plowing operations, which would effectively end fall bulk leaf collection, according to the release.
Additional information on the city's yard waste collection programs can be found on the City of East Lansing website.
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