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Falling Leaves, Sweeping Streets

As the leaves begin to fall, City staff and contractors hit the streets in force to help sweep them up! Keeping up with falling leaves all across Longmont is no small task. Sweeping crews work from October into December to ensure that our roadways and storm drains are clear of debris.
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This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

As the leaves begin to fall, City staff and contractors hit the streets in force to help sweep them up! Keeping up with falling leaves all across Longmont is no small task. Sweeping crews work from October into December to ensure that our roadways and storm drains are clear of debris. The City currently sweeps over 350 centerline miles of streets. Street sweeping annually removes tons (literally!) of debris and contaminants from the streets that would otherwise pollute our air and rivers. The rule of thumb is this: areas that receive the most traffic are swept the most often. Sweeping occurs monthly from April to October in downtown and on Longmont’s major streets and connecting roads, and industrial areas are swept every other month. Residential streets require sweeping only a few times a year; they are included in citywide sweeps each spring, summer and fall. The street sweeping routes and operations have been designed to not interfere with trash collection and to ensure that bike lanes are captured. Additionally, it is standard practice to sweep snow routes following snowfall.

See maps to show the estimated schedule of citywide fall sweeping activities. Residents can also call (303) 651-8416 for information.

You
Can Help – Keep What You Sweep

When sweeping or raking leaves on your lawn or sidewalk, be sure you “keep what you sweep.” Whether you bag your leaves or compost them, the key is to keep them out of the street. It’s a violation of City code to sweep debris into the street, and it really impacts the productivity of the street sweeping operation. Working together, we can get the best results. And, don’t forget about the special, curbside collection of bagged leaves offered during November. Click here to find out when our curbside collection for bagged leaves willl be in your neighborhood.