It’s fall. Leaf season has arrived. The Street Maintenance Division will begin collecting leaves Monday, Oct. 24. This year, leaf pickup will start in Area 3 of the city, south of the Clark Fork River, west of Russell Street and north of Brooks Street. For area maps, check the City’s website.
The Street Division uses loaders and dump trucks to pick up piles on both sides of the street following the schedule below. Please try not to park on or around leaf piles.
Area 1: Oct. 24-28
Area 2: Oct. 31 and Nov. 2-4
Area 3: Nov. 7-10 and 14 and 16-18
Area 4: Nov. 21, 23 and 25
Special Parking District 1 will be Nov.1. Parking is prohibited on both sides of the street from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Special Parking District 2 will be Nov. 15. Parking is prohibited on both sides of the street from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Special Parking District 3 will be collected Nov. 22. Parking is prohibited on both sides of the street from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Immediately after the leaves in each area are picked up, crews will sweep the streets. During the leaf pickup days in a neighborhood, please use this parking schedule:
Even-numbered Days: Park on the even-numbered side of the street from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Odd-Numbered Days: Park on the odd-numbered side of the street from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
To have leaves collected, residents should please rake all yard leaves against the curb line or edge of the road on the asphalt before scheduled collection times for each neighborhood. Please make leaf piles long and narrow so they don’t encroach into the bike lanes or driving lanes. Also, please do not park cars on or around the leaf piles. The street division may enter an area before the collection date if time allows and then will return on the scheduled date.
Please rake only leaves to the curb. Limbs, trash and other yard wastes delay leaf collection efforts. Also, residents do not need to bag leaves. Bagging wastes residents’ time and also slows collection efforts.
Trees must be pruned to a minimum of 14 feet over the street to the inside edge of the curb line, per MMC 12.32. If your trees do not meet this requirement, they may have to be trimmed by City crews to complete the leaf collection program.
The leaf collection program has four main goals: 1) keep city streets clean; 2) help save space at the local landfill; 3) save residents the cost and hassle of bagging leaves; and 4) further Missoula’s recycling efforts by helping turn leaves into compost for local use.
After the annual leaf collection program ends Nov. 25, the Street Maintenance Division will continue to collect leaves intermittently until the first snow fall. If you miss your neighborhood’s scheduled pickup time, please call the Street Maintenance Division at 552-6360 to be placed on a list for another collection time.