Week of October 27, 2025: Will the Streets Division do more than three leaf & yard waste collections this fall?

It’s leaf and yard waste season again. Bryan Johnson, Recycling Coordinator & Public Information Officer for the city’s Streets & Urban Forestry Division, sent out this informative article below about collection schedules.

I'd also suggest you consider leaving "leaf litter" in place. Much in the spirit of "No-Mow May," leaf litter is valuable food and habitat for many beneficial insects and other wildlife. Or maybe compromise ... clean-up your front yard and keep your backyard au naturel?

Will the Streets Division do more than three leaf & yard waste collections this fall?

We can’t guarantee more than the three leaf & yard waste pickups published on the website because we don’t know what the weather will allow us to do.  There are no promises for extra pickups in December.

The guaranteed collection we provide takes us all of November to complete. We put every available truck and person we can on leaf pickup duty, and it still takes us that amount of time to circle through all neighborhoods.

Any extra pickup we might be able to provide could not happen until December.

The same people who are out picking up leaves are the same people who drive the snowplows.

We don’t know when it will start snowing.

If the winter snows begin in early December, we need to have our staff in the plowing equipment to take care of the roads, sidewalks, bus stops, and pathways.

However, if the December weather allows for it, we will do an extra leaf pickup. 

We just don’t know when the leaf pickup season begins, or even by the middle of the pickup season, what that the actual December weather will be. We cannot promise a collection that the weather will not allow us to provide.

Before we do an extra round, we will announce it so residents know we are coming and what to expect from us.

We send out a news release. We have our own email list that the message will go out to. It gets posted to the city’s social media accounts, and in the past, alders have been great about sharing this to their constituents, which has been a big help getting the word out.

We also always encourage residents to stay connected to local news sources so they do not miss announcements like the extra leaf pickup. We always recommend they sign up to receive messages from their alders and other information directly from the City.

We should also note that rather than pinning all hopes on an extra pickup and a snow-free December, there are three drop-off sites that accept yard waste & leaves residents can use. Drop-off site hours and restrictions are available on our website.  There are also alternatives for handling leaves and yard waste, such as mulching leaves or composting them.

I hope all of this information helps. If questions remain, please let us know.

Thanks everyone and happy raking!

Updates and Notices

City of Madison Parking: Finding convenient parking should be easy! Visit the Parking page on the City of Madison website to find locations of city garages and lots, current availability, and information on parking permits.

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

• Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 28, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include allowing anyone to submit a complaint to the Ethics Board, as well as adopting the 2025-2030 Park and Open Space Plan.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, October 27, at 4:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include deliberations on the 2026 Executive Operating Budget.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Board of Public Works: The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 29, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include the updated Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

• Southwest Area Plan Public Meeting: Virtual Option, Wednesday, October 29: This meeting will provide an overview of issues and opportunities in the planning area and offer a chance to review and comment on draft plan actions. Presentations at the virtual meetings will be followed by discussion and feedback.
• Public Input Meeting - Canter and Woods Farm Parks, Wednesday, October 29: The City of Madison Parks Division is starting the design process for both Woods Farm Park and Canter Park on the northeast side of the city. Each park is approximately 5 acres. In anticipation of further growth in the neighborhood, a master plan is being put together to guide the development of these two existing parks.
• Southwest Area Plan Public Meeting: Virtual Option, Thursday, October 30:The City of Madison Parks Division is starting the design process for both Woods Farm Park and Canter Park on the northeast side of the city. Each park is approximately 5 acres. In anticipation of further growth in the neighborhood, a master plan is being put together to guide the development of these two existing parks.

Announcements and News Releases

• City, County Officials Encourage Flu & COVID Vaccination This Fall(link is external): Public Health Madison & Dane County is reminding everyone that getting up to date on flu and COVID vaccines is the best defense against getting seriously sick this respiratory virus season. [posted October 23, 2025]
• Overnight Closures Scheduled for Northbound John Nolen Drive Next Week: Beginning Monday night, October 27, the northbound lanes of John Nolen Drive will be closed overnight between Olin Avenue and North Shore Drive to accommodate storm sewer installation work. The nightly closures will occur from 7pm to 6am for…[posted October 22, 2025]
• Food Scraps Recycling at Farmers’ Markets Ends November 1, 2025: You are running out of time to bring food scraps to a farmers’ market drop-off site. We are also short on time to reach the food scraps drop-off goal for this season. Food Scraps Drop-off Opportunities at Farmers’ Markets… [posted October 21, 2025]

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

• Wright Design Series: Possible Future, Monday, October 27: Presented by Chandler Ahrens. Chandler Ahrens enjoys thinking about the potential of underutilized buildings, finding inspiration in the challenges and opportunities of adaptive reuse projects. As chair of the Graduate School of Architecture at Washington University and co-founder of AVV A architecture firm, his work illustrates innovative techniques in architecture and public art.
• Hayride Around the Capitol | Movie at the Top of State, Wednesday, October 29: We've partnered with Madison's Central BID for the Downtown Madison Family Halloween (link is external)to bring you back-to-back events! Take a haywagon ride around the Capitol Square and see a movie at the Top of State Street.
• Warner Family Fun Night | Halloween Celebration, Friday, October 31: Join us at WPCRC for Warner Family Fun Night! Families can create art projects, play in the game room or the gym, watch a movie or win some prizes playing bingo!
• Vaccination Clinic at Goodman Community Center, Saturday, November 1: All vaccines are free for eligible individuals. Children six months and older who lack insurance, are under 19, and are either Alaskan Native or American Indian, as well as those with BadgerCare or most other types of insurance, can receive vaccinations at no cost.

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.