With leaves falling later this fall, DPW urges residents to bag leaves and keep them off roads
Syracuse, N.Y. – The transition from fall to winter in the City of Syracuse marches on. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh announced the Department of Public Works will launch its overnight shift for the late fall and winter months beginning on the morning of Nov. 8. Crews who are on duty to plow streets in the event of early morning snowfall will be deployed to pick up leaves on city streets.
“Syracuse can deliver any kind of weather this time of year. We know from past experience that our DPW must be prepared for early morning snowstorms, so this overnight staffing is essential,” said Mayor Walsh. “When the snow doesn’t come, it’s a smart use of city resources to have those crews supplement the effort to pick up leaves.”
The City provides leaf pick-up as a service to residents in the months of November and December. It occurs during both the daytime and on overnights. Leaf pick-up vehicles are equipped with audible beeps for safety, and some units can create scraping and banging noises.
“We apologize for the overnight disruptions that occur when crews come to pick up leaves. We ask residents to bear with us as we work to get all the leaves up before they create fall and winter flooding or impede our snow plows,” said Mayor Walsh.
Residents are urged to place all leaves in paper bags and to never put leaves in the roadway. Leaves must be placed between the sidewalk and curb and must be separate from all other waste. Leaves cannot block fire hydrants, poles, trees, vents or catch basins.
“Many of our neighborhoods face the risk of flooding in the fall and winter. One of the biggest contributors to that problem is leaves that are placed in the roadway,” said Mayor Walsh. “They block catch basins, fill our underground sewer mains constricting water flow and subject some properties to sewer backups. The best thing residents can do to help themselves and their neighbors is to put leaves in paper bags and ensure they aren’t in the road.”
Residents can also use the City of Syracuse yard waste drop-off site. It is located on the access road to the DPW complex, accessible from South Midler Avenue between Interstate 690 and Erie Boulevard. Residents can drop off brush, branches, and leaves. Plastic bags are not permitted. It operates from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday.
