Fort Wayne Kicks Off Bagged Leaf Collection10/31/2023 Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Fort Wayne Street Department has begun collecting leaves in the City’s more than 400 neighborhoods, marking the official start of leaf collection season. This year’s leaf pick-up will run through December 15, but weather conditions or the volume of leaves in a particular area may cause the planned schedule to shift slightly. To keep residents informed of any changes in the schedule, leaf collection updates will be provided daily before 3:00 p.m. at cityoffortwayne.org/leaves. The daily updates will include what neighborhood the crews will be working in the following day. A collection map and guidelines for the process will also be located on the web page. Additionally, residents have the option to call 260-427-2302 to hear recorded daily updates. “Residents and neighborhoods look forward to our Street Department providing the vital service of leaf collection each year,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “It’s critical that we meet the needs of the community, and I’m encouraged by the excellent work that our City employees perform each day to assist the public with the proper removal of leaves.” The 2023 Fort Wayne Leaf Pick-Up Schedule North Neighborhoods, October 30 – November 3 & November 27 – December 1 Central Neighborhoods, November 6 – November 9 & December 4 – December 8 South Neighborhoods, November 13 – November 17 & December 11 – December 15 There will be no leaf collection on November 10 for Veterans Day or November 23 -24 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Residents are asked to rake leaves to the curb or park strip in front of their home, but not in the street. Leaves should be in the pick-up area by Monday at 7:00 a.m. on the collection week. Collection Guidelines • Rake leaves to the park strip by 7:00 a.m. on the first day of the week when crews will be in your area.• Don’t put leaves in your trash or recycling cart.• Don’t burn leaves. It’s a violation of the City Code and can result in a fine.• Don’t place leaves in the street.• Don’t place leaves in or over storm drains.• Parents should remind children not to play in leaf piles near the street for safety and to assist motorists. Biodegradable bagged leaf collection, led by the City of Fort Wayne, began on October 16 due to leaves falling early, and is still underway. Those who would like the flexibility of having leaves collected at their convenience may use the biodegradable bag system. Residents with bagged leaves are asked to call 311 to schedule a pick-up. The bags need to be placed at the curb prior to calling 311. Bagged leaf collection will run through the end of 2023, weather permitting. Last year, crews collected 20,609 leaf bags and hauled 4,242 truckloads of leaves. In March 2024, the Street Department will announce two additional weeks for bagged leaf collection.