Mayor’s Mailbag – November 2022 Roundup – Plains Road Protected Bikeway Project & What to do with Fallen Leaves

Welcome to the Mayor’s Mailbag – November 2022 roundup.The Mayor’s Monday Mailbag is a weekly initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office has launched to share answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.Mayor’s Mailbag – November 2022 Roundup

• “What is happening with the Plains Road Protected Bikeway and Resurfacing Project and how is it affecting this year’s loose-leaf collection service?”
• “I live in rural Burlington — what should I do with fallen leaves: rake it or ‘leaf’ it?”

PLAINS ROAD PROTECTED BIKEWAY PROJECTQUESTION:“What is happening with the Plains Road Protected Bikeway and Resurfacing Project and how is it affecting this year’s loose-leaf collection service?”ANSWER:Construction activity for the Plains Road Protected Bikeway and Resurfacing Project began as scheduled on June 6, 2022. However, Associated Paving & Materials Ltd.’s progress towards the completion of the Plains Road project has been impacted due to delays in locate requests for underground utilities, nationwide concrete shortages, and delays by Burlington Hydro and Cogeco in removing the overhead lines crossing Plains Road and the northside utility poles.As a result of these delays, the original completion date of Nov. 15, 2022 was not reached. Construction of the Plains Road Protected Bikeways and Resurfacing project is expected to continue into summer 2023.Associated Paving & Materials Ltd. is currently working towards completing all concrete works (curb, concrete buffer strip, bus pads, etc.) on the south side of Plains Road. Once these works have been completed, the existing paint markings will be removed, and the new lane configurations will be installed with temporary paint line markings on the existing asphalt surface.Construction work on the north side of Plains Road in the late fall/winter of 2022 will be weather-dependent and focused on the removal and replacement of the existing sidewalk to its new configuration complete with restoration of driveways and landscaping. Associated Paving & Materials Ltd. will ensure access is maintained over the winter and resident snow-clearing efforts are not impeded.Leaf Collection CancellationDue to the ongoing construction, the City is unable to complete curbside leaf collection within the project limits. Leaf pick-up will not take place on Plains Road from Waterdown to Spring Gardens this fall 2022.Residents are asked to bag the leaves and place them at the roadside for Halton Region Yard Waste pick-up. Please refer to the Halton Region website’s online waste collection schedule for scheduled pick-up dates for your area: www.halton.ca/For-Residents/Recycling-Waste/Recycling-and-Waste-Tools/Online-Waste-Collection-ScheduleFor more information about the Plains Road Protected Bikeway and Resurfacing Project, including scope and details, and/or to subscribe to the webpage for updates directly in your email inbox, please click here.

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RURAL BURLINGTON & FALLEN LEAVESQUESTION:“I live in rural Burlington — what should I do with fallen leaves: rake it or ‘leaf’ it?”ANSWER:While residents in the urban area of Burlington will receive leaf pick-up services from the City, autumn leaves may pose a problem for rural residents – but that does have to be the case.The Take Action Burlington team recently shared some handy information on how to not only give your back a rest from raking, but also give your garden a boost this winter.Many of us are used to raking leaves and either bagging them up or, in many parts of Burlington, putting them at the edge of the property for the annual loose-leaf curbside collection program. However, if you keep a layer or two of leaves on your lawn or in your garden beds, they will break down and provide valuable nutrients while helping to keep moisture in and weeds out.In addition, this can be beneficial for critters — important to the balance of our eco-system — over the winter season who can hide under the leaves and help increase biodiversity. Also, birds will thank you for providing a food source.It’s important to keep in mind that if you have a thick layer of leaves, you might need to spread them out a bit so as to not choke your lawn — or break them down with your electric lawn mower. You can even add them to your gardens to help protect the plants against freeze and thawing conditions.If you choose to rake leaves on your lawn and are physically able to, a better suggestion is to hand rake rather than using a leaf blower. Not only are you getting some exercise, but you are also reducing noise pollution that can increase stress levels, and also reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. If using a leaf blower is physically easier for you, an alternative is an electric leaf blower; it’s a bit quieter and cleaner from an emissions point of view.The David Suzuki Foundation provides some further insight into the benefits of leaving leaves (or some of it) in place. Butterflies begin in leaves, as larvae. Those brown, dead leaves are the planet’s butterfly nursery. They’re home to butterfly larvae, microbes and worms. And leaf litter is where many species of butterflies and moths stay over the winter season as pupae.In addition, animals such as toads, shrews and salamanders benefit from leaf litter, using it to hide or hunt. Click this link for more information on how you can provide winter cover for pollinators and other important creatures where you live.IMPORTANT REMINDER — DO rake leaves out of sewers and drainage pathways to ensure that water can find its way out of your garden.For residents in the urban area of the city who choose to have their leaves collected, there is one more week of raking before the City of Burlington’s loose leaf collection program starts on Nov. 14. Click here for more on what you need to know about the program.Rural residents who choose to rake, can bag leaves to be collected on their regular garden waste collection days, or drop it off at the Halton Waste Management site at 5400 Regional Road 25 at a minor fee. Click here for more information on the Region of Halton’s Waste Management Site fees.

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RELATED LINKS:

• Mayor’s Mailbag – October 2022 Roundup – Bateman Site Update & Deterring Feeding of Wildlife
• Mayor’s Mailbag – September 2022 Roundup – Aggressive Coyotes & Bus Stop Pads Upgrades
• Mayor’s Mailbag – August 2022 Roundup – City Development Projects Webpage, Pickleball, & Tobyn Park Condo Update
• Mayor’s Mailbag – July 2022 Roundup – Millcroft OLT Appeal, Public EV Charging Stations, & Burlington Canal Piers
• Mayor’s Mailbag – June 2022 Roundup – Central High School Site; 535-551 Brant St. Development; & Mountainside Pool Reopening
• Mayor’s Mailbag – May 2022 Roundup – Twin City Agreements; LaSalle Park Community Marina; & Hydro Companies Removing Vegetation
• Mayor’s Mailbag – April 2022 Roundup – Support for Ukrainian Refugees; Burlington Taking on Climate Change
• Mayor’s Mailbag – March 2022 Roundup – Private Tree Bylaw, Masks, & Accessible Parking in Older Buildings
• Mayor’s Mailbag – February 2022 Roundup – Virtual Meeting Participation, Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund, & Accommodating Growth in Halton
• Mayor’s Mailbag – January 2022 Roundup – Parks’ Upgrades, Windrows When Snow Clearing