Mayor Rawlings-Blake, Department of Public Works Kick Off Leaf Collection Program and Fall Cleanup

Residents urged to keep curbs, alleys free of leaves to prevent flooding, encouraged to participate in annual fall cleanup

BALTIMORE, Md. (October 16, 2014)—Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake joined Baltimore Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Rudy Chow, P.E., to announce the fall leaf collection program and to urge city residents to keep their curbs, alleys, and storm drains clear of leaves to prevent flooding. The mayor also encouraged residents to participate in her annual Fall Cleanup—a citywide initiative that brings residents together to clean Baltimore’s neighborhoods. The Mayor’s Fall Cleanup will take place on October 25.

“The City has made great efforts to keep the streets of Baltimore clean and free of debris, including the implementation of a citywide street sweeping program,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “During the fall and winter months, falling leaves can impede our drainage system. Therefore, it is imperative that we protect the thousands of storm drain inlets throughout the city. This leaf collection program is yet another measure to ensure that Charm City remains clean and free of blight.”

Each Monday, beginning October 20, 2014 and continuing through January 5, 2015, DPW Bureau of Solid Waste crews will collect up to 20 bags of leaves from each address. To schedule a pick-up, residents must call 311 no later than 10:00 pm on the Sunday preceding the anticipated Monday collection. Residents may make multiple appointments, and pick-ups may be scheduled up to two months in advance of the requested pick-up date.

The Bureau of Solid Waste will also collect bagged leaves on regularly scheduled trash collection days. Solid Waste crews will collect up to 5 bags of leaves weekly from each address. Leaves for collection must be contained in a clear or labeled bag and placed at a regular mixed refuse collection location—not in the public right-of-way. With Monday collections and regular mixed refuse collections, the Bureau of Solid Waste will collect a total of up to 25 bags of leaves per week, per address.

Residents may also drop off bagged leaves Monday through Saturday at the following Bureau of Solid Waste locations:

• Quarantine Road Sanitary Landfill, 6100 Quarantine Road (9:00 am – 5:00 pm)
• Western Citizens’ Convenience Center, 701 Reedbird Avenue (9:00 am – 5:00 pm)
• Eastern Citizens’ Convenience Center, 6101 Bowleys Lane (9:00 am – 5:00 pm)
• Northwest Citizens’ Convenience Center, 2840 Sisson Street (9:00 am – 5:00 pm)
• Northwest Transfer Station, 5030 Reisterstown Road (7:00 am – 3:00 pm)

For the Mayor’s Fall Cleanup, community groups are encouraged to pick a location that needs a special cleanup and/or graffiti removal, and call 311 to register. Residents who participate in registered neighborhood cleanups may be eligible to apply for credits toward their Maryland Stormwater Fee.

For more information about Department of Public Works services, consult the Public Works Calendar or visit publicworks.baltimorecity.gov.