Cedar Rapids: Keep leaves out of the streets

Cedar Rapids officials are reminding residents to keep leaves out of the streets this fall, as the city's new leaf-vacuuming trucks roam the roads -- and they're promising to start charging property owners extra for leaves piled in the street.

Here's the news release issued by the city today:

The loose leaf vacuum collection program is entering its fifth successful week of operation.  Vacuum crews collected over 1,306 tons of leaves during week four, with daily collection well over 327 tons.   To date, 2,070 tons of leaves have been vacuumed up and delivered to the Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency's Compost site on A Street SW.

The implementation of this program has meant that instead of placing leaves in the street, residents are now asked to keep their leaf piles on the parking area or grass by the edge of the road.  This change makes it easier for crews to pick up the leaves, but also creates safer streets.  By moving the leaves onto the grass or parking area, it prevents the following:

1.  Children playing in piles on the street increasing the risk of serious accidents.

2.  Wet and compacted leaves on the streets creating slick conditions for motorists.

3.  Traffic pulling out into the oncoming lane to avoid the piles of leaves.

4.  Fires that result from a car's hot catalytic converter igniting the leaves.

Over the past few weeks, vacuum truck crews have been collecting piles of leaves placed in the street as a courtesy and to minimize the problems the leaves pose when placed in the street.  Starting the week of Nov. 16, city collection crews will begin leaving piles of leaves placed in the street and will treat the piles as a Nuisance Abatement.  When the City removes a nuisance, the costs associated with the work will be assessed against the property owner.

The City of Cedar Rapids Solid Waste and Recycling Division is pleased with the enthusiastic and positive response from our customers.  Here are a couple of tips that will help us all adjust to the new program

Placing leaves in long rows, parallel to the street, allows the trucks to pick up the leaves more quickly

The trucks cannot pick up leaf piles blocked by parked vehicles.  If a vehicle is blocking a leaf pile, the pick up will be postponed to the next week

Loose leaves MUST be free of brush and branches.  Brush and branches will plug the vacuum hoses and slow down or delay vacuum collection.  If piles are mixed, the leaves will not get collected and crews will not come back until the next scheduled collection.  Please use the YARDY cart for brush and or branches.  Brush and branches can not stick out over the top of the YARDY and the YARDY lid MUST close completely.  If you have extra brush and branches, bundle and tie them with bio-degradable twine or cord (no wire or nylon cord) into bundles NO larger than 3 feet long by 2 feet in diameter.  Each bundle cannot exceed 40 pounds.  Place bundled brush and branches beside the YARDY cart.

The crews are working long hours to complete the routes and pick up the leaves.  If they have not been to your home by the usual time, please be patient as they may get to you later that day or the next

The loose leaf collection service is scheduled to run until Dec. 11, weather permitting.