The City of Oxford’s annual leaf pickup program began Monday, Oct. 18 and will run through the end of November, according to the city’s Streets and Maintenance Division.

Residents can rake leaves into the gutter for daily pickup by the city’s crews every business day, weather conditions allowing. In areas of heavy, on-street parking, leaves should be raked in a yellow “No Parking” zone for collection.

In areas where leaf piles could cause traffic hazards, like the east side of College Avenue from Chestnut Street to Church Street, leaves should be placed in the area between the curb and the sidewalk.

The city asks people not to bag them or park on leaf piles to allow easy access for collection crews. Residents should keep other yard waste separate from leaf piles as branches and other brush can clog the leaf collection equipment. This yard waste can be bundled and placed on the curb for the regular yard waste pickup.

Collected leaves are taken to the city’s composting site and later used for other community projects such as the Oxford Community Garden.