Residents can use 311 to pick up bagged leaves through end of leaf season
The City of Fort Wayne's leaf crews are finishing leaf pick-up on the city's north side and moving to the south section as outlined on the leaf map but will continue to pick-up bagged leaves throughout Fort Wayne.
For city residents in areas where the last pick-up has already happened but still has leaves, they can place them in paper or biodegradable bags and request pick-up until the final collection day, Dec. 12, weather permitting. Bags receive priority pick-up within two business days, regardless of the pick-up schedule for their neighborhood.
If the second pick-up has already happened, residents need to use 311 to let the Fort Wayne Street Department know bagged leaves need to be picked up. Crews will collect bagged leaves in the northern section on a request-only basis.
“If you still have leaves and the City has already done the second and final collection for your neighborhood, don't worry. You can bag your leaves and we'll come pick them up if you use 311 by phone or online,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “Please use this service instead of placing them in the trash or burning them, or you can also consider mulching or composting them in your yard.”
To save money and gain efficiencies, the City of Fort Wayne switched from three to two leaf collection cycles this year. Leaf pick-up will finish a couple of weeks earlier, allowing the Street Department trucks to be fully outfitted for snow removal a little sooner.
For the remaining loose-leaf collections, leaves must be raked to the park strip. The Street Department recommends having them there by the first day of the pick-up week. They should not be raked into street. Burning leaves is illegal, and they cannot be placed in the trash.
The remaining loose-leaf collection dates for 2008 are:
'¢ South: Dec. 1-5
'¢ Central: Dec. 8-12
Residents can call the leaf hotline at 427-2302 or click here for the day's pick-up locations. A map of the areas is also available on the Web site. The schedule and map were also included in October's City Utilities bills.
To request bagged leaf pick-up, call the 311 call center from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays at either 311 or 427-8311 or click here to request pick-up using 311's online form.