City-wide street leaf removal begins this week

Look out for temporary “no stopping” signs

November 13 2019 

With much of our tree canopy now bare, City crews will begin to sweep and clear leaves from streets starting this week.

Residents are asked to do their part by complying with all temporary “no-stopping” signs that will be posted the day in advance of cleaning activities.

If temporary “no-stopping” signs are posted, residents are required to move their vehicle(s) to another spot before 7 am on the date indicated on the signs. It is very important that vehicles are moved as it allows our crews to do a much better job of clearing all of the leaves from the street.

Vehicles that are not moved will be ticketed and will receive a courtesy tow to a nearby location.

Vehicles with a SPARC permit will be returned to the same location once the street cleaning is completed.

 

Street cleaning schedule

Crews will begin their work Downtown and proceed south. Advance sweeping may occur on streets with a higher volume of leaves.

View a map and schedule of street cleaning activities

Street cleaning dates shown on the map are a guideline only. The schedule can change as a result of weather, road conditions, and available trucks and crews.

Residents are reminded not to rake or blow leaves onto the sidewalk, catch basin, bike lane or street. Leaves in the street create a safety hazard for pedestrians and cyclists and can cause flooding.

Depositing leaves in the street is prohibited under the Street and Traffic By-Law.

 

Leaf collection weekends continue

Residents are encouraged to rake leaves that fall on their property, the sidewalk, and boulevard and add them to their Green Bin.

Extra leaves that do not fit in residents’ Green Bins may be placed in paper yard waste bags or store-bought bins and set out for pickup on the following leaf collection weekends:

• November 16 to 17  
• December 14 to 15
• January 11 to 12, 2020 (Christmas trees will also be collected)

Leaves set out in plastic bags will not be collected, including bags labelled as compostable or biodegradable plastic.

To avoid a missed pickup, residents should set their leaves out before 7 am on the scheduled Saturday. Residents’ leaves will be collected on Saturday or Sunday, but not both days. Green Bins will not be emptied on leaf collection weekends.

Find helpful guidelines on the City's fall leaf program

Residents can get collection reminders by downloading the City’s VanCollect app on their smartphone.

 

What happens to the leaves? 

Leaves collected from City streets and during leaf collection weekends are turned into nutrient-rich compost at the Vancouver Landfill.

This compost can be purchased by residential gardeners, commercial landscapers, and municipal park boards. Leaves and other yard trimmings can also be dropped off for a fee at the Vancouver South Transfer Station located at 377 West Kent Ave North and at the Vancouver Landfill located at 5400 72 Street in Delta.