The Department of Public Works (DPW) has released the following information regarding the Martin Luther King Day Holiday weekend and the extension of the leaf and Christmas tree collection season:

DPW offices will be closed to observe the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Most DPW services will be suspended, including trash and recycling collections, street and alley cleaning, and parking enforcement (meters, residential and rush hour lane restrictions, and booting, towing or abandoned vehicle removal). All services will resume Tuesday, January 22, 2008.  Trash and recycling collections in once-a-week collection neighborhoods will “slide” to the next day for the remainder of the week.  In neighborhoods with twice-weekly trash collections, Monday and Thursday collections will be made Tuesday and Friday, and Tuesday and Friday collections will be made Wednesday and Saturday. 

DPW will, however, collect leaves and holiday trees on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. 

According to William Howland, Director, DPW has extended the leaf and holiday tree collections through the end of January to make up for time lost due to actual and predicted snow events.  “The leaf collection team is the backbone of the new snow response team, which means they discontinue collecting leaves when snow or other winter storms are predicted.  In December, there was one actual snow event and predictions of three others.  For public safety reasons, DPW switched the leaf collection equipment to snow fighting equipment to be ready when snow falls.

DPW reminds residents that leaves should be raked into tree box spaces or bagged and placed at curbside for collection.  Residents disposing of holiday trees and other greenery should strip them of all ornaments and tinsel, and place these items at the curb.  Trees and greenery collected from curbside by during January will be mulched.  After January, residents who want their trees to be mulched, may bring them to the Ft. Totten Trash Transfer Station at 4900 Bates Road, NE, where a special container will hold the trees for pick up by a contractor.  This service will be available until it is determined that there is no further need for this service and the season has ended.  Ft. Totten is open to residents weekdays, 1 pm to 5 pm, and Saturdays from 8 am to 3 pm, except on holidays, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 21. 

Residents also may place their trees with their trash and the collection crews will pick them up as space permits in their trucks.  These trees will be taken to the landfill.  For questions about these collections, please call (202) 727-1000.  The holiday trash and recycling collections schedule appears on the DPW website at www.dpw.dc.gov.