October 29th, 2019 by WCBC Radio
Cumberland – Every fall, leaves blanket Cumberland. The leaves from deciduous trees, such as maples, oaks and sycamores end up on the ground as the trees prepare for winter and their dormant period.
The Street Maintenance crew of the Public Works Department annually schedules a citywide Leaf Pickup program as a service to city residents. About 80 tons of leaves are collected each year and deposited to the Allegany County mulch and waste recycling center at Mexico Farms. There, the leaves are mixed into future mulch for beneficial re-use.
The leaf collection program begins on Monday, November 4 and will conclude the week of December 16. It’s a more complicated job than most residents realize. “We are starting a little later than previously so that most of the leaves will have fallen,” commented Brooke Cassell, Public Works Operations Manager. “We are starting at our highest elevation, the Seton Drive area for the same reason.”
Residents may rake leaves in loose piles between the sidewalk and the curb (not into the street) the weekend prior to their collection date.
Cumberland’s Leaf Collection Schedule for 2019
November 4 – 8 Seton Drive Area (Seton Drive, Bishop Walsh Road and all connecting streets)
November 12 – 15 Upper West Side (All streets north of Greene Street to Wills Creek, including Braddock Road)
November 18 – 22 Lower West Side (All streets south of Greene Street to Kelly Boulevard and the Dingle Area)
November 25 – 27 North End (All streets between Frederick Street to the city limits on Piedmont Avenue)
December 2 – 6 East Side (All streets between Williams Street and Frederick Street and the Downtown Area.
December 9 – 13 Maple Side (All streets between Oldtown Road and Williams Street and all streets between Oldtown Road and Industrial Boulevard)
December 16 -17 South End (All streets west of Virginia Avenue to Industrial Boulevard and all streets below the Virginia Avenue underpass)
A little preparation goes a long way in helping the city get the job done. Residents in the scheduled areas for pickup during a particular week should rake their leaves on the weekend prior to the collection. Leaves should be raked in piles to the edge of the sidewalk adjacent to the street, but not on the street, to avoid clogging the storm sewer collection basins.
The City’s leaf collection is for leaves only and pickup does not include branches and other yard debris. Residents are asked to park their vehicles in a manner that does not block access to the leaf piles. The City plans on collecting leaves on each street only once, so residents are encouraged to check the schedule dates and follow the timeline.
Those who do not have their leaves raked in the proper manner at the time of collection will need to dispose of them another way. City residents may also bag leaves and place them on the curb on their regular trash days.
Burgmeier Hauling will collect up to eight bags of trash per pickup, including leaves.
Burning leaves within the city limits is a violation of city code.
A third option for disposing of leaves is to deposit grass, leaves, brush, trees and tree limbs four inches or less in diameter at the Allegany County Government mulch & yard waste recycling site located at 11700 PPG Road, North Branch Industrial Park.
The site is open Wednesday – Sunday from 9 am – 5 pm until Thanksgiving when the winter schedule, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8 am – 4 pm begins.
More information on the site can be found at https://gov.allconet.org/303/Yard-Waste-Mulch-Site. Further information regarding the leaf collection program may be obtained by calling Street Maintenance at 301-759-6622 or 301-759-6639.
The collection schedule is available online at www.ci.cumberland.md.us. The schedule is not subject to change unless the area is hit with snow as the same trucks used for leaf pickup are also used as salt trucks during snow.
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