As the D.C. area approaches peak fall foliage, leaf collection in Arlington is never far behind.
The county’s first round of fall leaf collection begins in two weeks, on Monday, Nov. 9, and will continue Monday through Saturday until the end of November. A second pass will take place in December.
A statewide environmental advocacy group has praised Arlington’s recent decision to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers.
The Quiet Clean Virginia Foundation sees the County Board’s vote on July 18 as a model for other localities across the state.
A year-round ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, with a three-year phase-out period, is likely to be considered by County Board members later this year.
A county staff recommendation to that effect received no significant pushback from any Board members during a Feb. 24 meeting.
As fall foliage piles up in yards and streets around Arlington, the county’s annual leaf collection program begins next week.
Leaf vacuums will suck up fallen leaves in 19 neighborhoods beginning on Monday, Nov. 10. The first pass will continue every weekday through Nov. 28, only taking a day off for Thanksgiving.
A key county advisory panel likes the proposal to ban gas-powered leaf blowers countywide, but doesn’t want to get too far into the weeds on specifics right now.
Members of the Arlington Park and Recreation Commission on Oct. 28 agreed to send a letter to County Board members, expressing support for the concept of outlawing gas blowers.
Falls Church officials plan to start looking into options for limiting or banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers within city limits.
Among the issues remaining to be determined, likely early next year, is whether city leaders already have the power to enact a prohibition — or if they must wait for approval from the state government.
County leaders are seeking public input on how long a transition period to allow if Arlington ends up phasing out gas-powered leaf blowers.
Nationwide, most jurisdictions that have imposed bans on gas-powered blowers have provided an interim period to educate the public and to allow professional firms and homeowners to acquire the correct equipment.
Gas-powered leaf blowers could soon meet their downfall in Arlington.
The County Board is considering a possible ban on the controversial contraptions, which local environmental advocates have criticized for their loud noise levels and low fuel efficiency.
As fall colors sweep across the D.C. area, Arlington leaf collection season begins in two weeks.
Crews are expected to begin passing through Arlington neighborhoods starting Monday, Nov. 11, according to a tentative schedule. Residents are encouraged to rake leaves to the curb the weekend before their civic association’s posted start date.
Northern Virginia is now reaching peak foliage, meaning it is almost time for Arlington County’s annual leaf collection service.
Up to 50% of trees in the region have changed colors, though some patches will not turn red, orange or yellow until later this season, per the Virginia Fall Foliage Report.
In Ballston, regardless of the season, workers have been spotted wielding leaf blowers.
Exactly who pays for this work, however, continues to be a mystery.
After a slight weather delay, the second leaf collection pass will start tomorrow (Tuesday).
Arlington County initially posted the second vacuuming could start on Saturday, Dec. 3. Despite the delay, the county aims to finish sucking up dead leaves before Christmas.
