Leaf removal in Akron starts Monday, Nov. 4, in Ward 5.

The rest of Akron’s wards are scheduled as follows:

Ward 5 — Nov. 4

Ward 3 — Nov. 6

Ward 9 — Nov. 8

Ward 7 — Nov. 12

Ward 6 — Nov. 15

Ward 4 — Nov. 19

Ward 8 — Nov. 25

Ward 1 — Dec. 4

Ward 2 — Dec. 7

Ward 10 — Dec. 11 

The city is starting a week later than normal to allow more time for the leaves to fall,  according to a news release from the mayor’s office.

It also launched a new leaf removal dashboard to help residents follow along with the clean-up’s progress. The display shows a ward map of the city with a simple color-coded status of “not started,” “in progress” and “complete” for each section.  

Residents will be able to type in their addresses to see which ward they are in and whether their street has been completed.

The City of Akron launched a new leaf removal dashboard.
The City of Akron launched a new leaf removal dashboard to help residents follow along with the clean-up’s progress. The display shows a ward map of the city with a simple color-coded status of “not started,” “in progress” and “complete” for each section. (Screen shot via the City of Akron website)

Work in each ward will take multiple days to complete, and signs will be posted in the various wards prior to pick-up dates. The news release reminded residents to wait to rake their leaves into the street until the day before their scheduled pick-up.  

The pick-up schedule is subject to change if adverse weather conditions prohibit removal.

If there is a change to the schedule, it will be posted on the city’s social media channels and the leaf removal page on the website. 

If you want to have leaves removed after your scheduled pick-up date, put in a request to 311 and rake your leaves to the curb (not into the street). 

The leaf removal crews will respond to these requests in mid-December as time and weather allow — after they finish going through all of the wards. 

The city also offers three free curb service bulk pick-ups per year. The leaves must be bagged for bulk pick-up. Contact 311 to schedule, go online to akronohio.gov/311 or download the Akron311 app. 

Guidelines and safety suggestions for leaf removal

Residents are reminded to follow the following guidelines to keep the leaf removal process safe and effective:  

  • Rake leaves within 2 feet of the curb the day before your collection is scheduled to help keep leaves from collecting in storm sewers. 
  • Do not allow children to play in leaves on or near the street. 
  • Do not place branches or any other debris in the street.
  • Do not rake leaves into the street after the removal has taken place or you may be subject to a fine. 
  • Do not park vehicles on the street the day before pick-up or until your leaves have been removed.
  • Do not park vehicles over piles of leaves because heat from the underside of a vehicle may cause a fire.

For more information regarding leaf removal, visit the Leaf Removal Program page on the city’s website or call 311.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.