New Equipment to Help Collect Leaves

The city of Toledo is evaluating the purchase of new equipment to help collect leaves under an aggressive plan to make sure they are quickly collected this season.

The Kapszukiewicz administration asked Toledo City Council today to consider purchasing 14 custom aluminum leaf caps ($169,575) and seven trailer mounted leaf loaders ($237,767).

Leaf collection is a special assessment service charged to residents of Toledo. City crews will be able to get more trucks on the road to assist in leaf collection with the new equipment. The equipment will be used to convert existing single axle trucks that are normally not used as much during leaf collection operations into vacuum collection trucks.

Toledo’s Streets, Bridges, and Harbor division collects about 300,000 cubic yards of leaves every year to prevent them from clogging the sewer system and creating unsafe driving situations. Leaf collection typically runs from Nov. 1 until the first major snowfall of December.

Every zip code in Toledo receives leaf pick up at least once during the fall season. The 2018 Leaf Collection Map will be released in late October at https://toledo.oh.gov/services/public-service/streets-bridges-harbor/2018-leaf-collection/.

Do not pile leaves in the street. Rake leaves, grass, and plant material to the lawn edge on uncurbed streets or just over the curb on residential streets not more than two days before the scheduled date of leaf pick-up. Do not place branches, twigs, shrubs, or garbage mixed in with leaves.

Residents along the Anthony Wayne Trail should place leaves on the residential street side of their homes – not on the Anthony Wayne Trail side.

Residents should not dump leaves in streams or creeks. Keep drainage ways open to prevent flooding. Residents are encouraged to mulch leaves and use them in their yards and gardens.