rap #296 11/10/08

RAKED LEAVES PRESENT A HAZARD IN THE ROADWAY

IT MAY LOOK inviting, but the street is no place to deposit raked leaves, said Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari.

“Simply sweeping them into the street and hoping the wind blows them away is not the way to remove old fallen leaves,” he said. “Every autumn I see cases where the leaves block storm drains and pose a safety hazard to passing motorists.”

Vicari urged residents living in municipalities that require the bagging and curbside pickup of leaves not to take the easy way out and sweep their leaves into the street.

Instead, Vicari said residents should adhere to the leaf removal schedules posted by their community.

Freeholder John P. Kelly, who is also Director of Law and Public Safety, said excess wet leaves on the pavement can also pose a driving hazard.

“Those leaves are only going to blow around the streets and nearby properties,” Kelly said. “After a rain, wet leaves can be as dangerous as ice on the roadways.”

Leaves also end up in storm drains, where they can block the flow of water and lead to local flooding problems.

“If you block a storm drain near your home, you are contributing to a potentially hazardous situation – literally in your own backyard -if a major storm suddenly hits the area,” Vicari said.

After enjoying the outdoors and the county’s trees all spring and summer, Vicari encouraged residents to take a few hours in the fall and properly remove and dispose of the fallen leaves.

“We all love to sit under the shade of a tree on a hot summer day,” he said. “The least we can do is be a good neighbor and pick up and safely remove the leaves when they do fall.”

Residents with questions about their leaf collections should contact their local municipal offices, Vicari said.

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