MILWAUKEE — Residents in Milwaukee's Cooper Park neighborhood are growing increasingly frustrated with towering piles of wet leaves that have been blocking streets since early November, creating safety hazards and traffic concerns.
TMJ4 spoke with about a dozen people who live on N. 89th Street who are fed up with the massive pile of wet leaves in front of their homes. The pile spans about 150 feet and covers an entire lane of traffic.
"The leaves have been here for quite a while, since October," Christine LaMarre said. "It looks terrible."
LaMarre considers the situation more than just an inconvenience, calling it a potential safety hazard that affects emergency services.
"With the fire department, this is one of their main strips, so it's usually cleaned, and they are able to go both ways without a problem, but they have to zig-zag now to get through our road," LaMarre said.
Watch: Milwaukee residents frustrated as massive leaf piles block streets for over a month
The massive leaf piles are covering street drains, raising concerns about flooding as more rain is expected and temperatures are expected to drop overnight.
"I'm worried about it, too, with all the flooding that could happen," LaMarre said.
The Department of Public Works set a November 30 deadline for residents to rake leaves to the curb; however, cleanup efforts were temporarily put on hold due to significant early-season snowfall.
A DPW spokesperson said about 1,000 residents have submitted leaf removal requests, and "approximately 90 percent of those City-created piles have been collected."
LaMarre questions why her neighborhood hasn't been prioritized.
"I understand that they also have a lot to do, but this should be taken care of as soon as possible," LaMarre said.
After inquiries about the situation, DPW says this area will be addressed within the next few days.
Leaf removal requests can be made here or by calling 414-286-CITY.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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