It is autumn again, which means that the leaves are falling from the trees. We are working hard to prevent nuisance and dangerous situations caused by leaves on the road.
Cleaning up fallen leaves is a big job. We spend at least 2 months on it every year and a lot of extra effort is required. We ensure extra materials and hire contractors. We work where it is most needed. Our priority is always to prevent or resolve dangerous situations. We use leaf blowers and sweepers to remove the leaves.
Priority
The leaves fall all over Amsterdam, but we cannot be everywhere at once. We prioritize places that can become dangerous due to slippery leaves. Think of bike paths and crossings. We also pay extra attention to drains, so that rainwater can flow away properly and no nuisance arises from large puddles.
Have you reported a nuisance due to fallen leaves? We will come to clean up the leaves, but it may be that dangerous spots take priority and your report will be addressed later.
Leaves in the Parks
In parks and green areas, we leave the leaves as much as possible. We do remove leaves from the paths, as they can cause slipperiness. We also do this on the lawns, as a thick layer of leaves can suffocate the grass. We blow these leaves towards the bushes and plants as much as possible. This forms a protective layer for the plants and a wintering place for insects, hedgehogs, and other animals.
The Weather
For cleaning up the leaves, we are also dependent on the weather. Most leaves only fall after we have had a frost night.
In heavy rain, we cannot blow the leaves away. We then manually sweep the leaves together. In case of snow and/or frost, our priority is salting and ensuring that we can continue to use our road network safely. Therefore, it may happen that we need more time to clean up leaves due to the weather.
You Can Help
We can use your help in making our streets, roads, and squares free of leaves. Do you see a dangerous situation? Report it via Report Public Space and Nuisance.
