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1. Does the Highway Department pick up trash?

The Town of Bethlehem Highway Department does not pick up trash, but it does offer many cleanup and recycling programs.

2. When does the town pick up loose leaves?

Loose leaf collection is a major effort occurring each fall, beginning in mid-October. Up to ten specially-equipped trucks are used to vacuum up piles of leaves that residents place by the roadside. It’s a labor-intensive process, and it takes up to four weeks just to go through the town once. Usually each area is picked up three or more times during the fall season.

3. Why can’t the town pick up loose leaves weekly, like they pick up bagged leaves, grass clippings, and brush?

The weekly pickup of brush and clippings use different equipment, and it’s a much quicker process. These pickups continue on a weekly schedule during the fall loose leaf collection period, but your leaves can only be picked up on those days if they are bagged or containerized – which is an option to take if you do not want to wait for the vacuum trucks.

4. How long does leaf collection take? What days of the week does it take place?

Leaf collection started last year on October 15, and it took two and a half weeks to cover the town once. Because of the volume of leaves that have now been raked to the road for collection, it may take up to four weeks to get through the town a second time. The crews work Saturdays and some holidays to get the job done as quickly as possible. Weather plays a major role, and the collection continues well into the month of December – as long as the leaves do not become buried under a heavy snow. We collect over 800 loads of leaves during a normal fall.

5. Where should I put my loose leaves for pickup?

Please be sure to place loose leaves on the lawn at the edge of the road and not in the roadway itself. Placing leaves in the road creates a hazardous condition for pedestrians, bicyclists, and traffic, and is in fact a violation of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. Also, please make sure that stormwater inlet grates are kept clear - if they are covered up, the drains cannot function properly.

6. How can I find out when my leaves will be picked up?

A tentative schedule is posted on our website, which is updated as the collection effort proceeds. The posted dates are only approximate due to varying weather conditions and the amount of leaves out for collection. The leaf collection schedule operates by zones, and a map linking to the schedule is also available on our website. We can only accurately predict three or four zones ahead, so you may notice older dates under certain zones. This would have been the last time that zone had loose leaf collection.

7. What size tree limbs/branches can I put out for the Highway Department to pick up?

The Highway Department can pick up branches no larger than 8” around in diameter and no longer than 4 feet long. They cannot weigh more than 50 pounds each. They must be stacked neatly alongside the curb.

8. Who should I call regarding dead animals in the roadway or on the side of the road?

If the animal is on a town road, you can call the Town of Bethlehem Police Department at 518-439-9973 and ask for Animal Control or call Town Hall during regular business hours at 518-439-4955 and select extension 2016. For animals on or alongside state roads, call the State Department of Transportation at 518-765-2841.

9. When are Town of Bethlehem roads repaved and what are the reasons for repaving?

The Town of Bethlehem maintains over 175 miles of local roads. Our resurfacing program is designed to pave 12 to 13 miles of roadway each year. This schedule allows us to resurface each town road every 12 to 13 years. There are many variables involved in making the decision on which streets need our attention and which streets can wait. The age of the blacktop, traffic conditions (vehicle volume and weight), the structural stability of the sub-base, the severity of the Bethlehem winters, the conditions when the existing pavement was put in place, and how good the blacktop mix was prepared all have a bearing on how long a road surface will sustain itself.

10. Why not wait until the road starts to deteriorate and appears to require repaving?

Blacktop pavement deteriorates on a scale similar to a bell curve. It remains in very good shape for a number of years; but once it starts to show wear, it fails at a rapid rate. If this failure is not caught and corrected within a short time frame, it could mean much more extensive repairs above and beyond a thin overlay of new blacktop. Failure of the roadway pavement causes a poor riding/walking surface and ponding of storm water, which promotes potholes and extensive cracking that requires costly routine maintenance and generates safety concerns for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

11. How is the determination made as to where to repave?

Every two to three years, the town does a system-wide road assessment on pavement condition where we rate the 175 miles of town highways. Two of our experienced paving crew leaders conduct the assessment for continuity purposes. We will be adding a sidewalk condition assessment to our program in the near future. This assessment gives us a basis on where we need to focus our efforts to preserve pavement integrity. Hopefully, this has provided some information on how and why our local road system is in good condition and our paving program is so successful. In response to these tight economic times, the funding level for our program has been cut by over 10% in the past two years. We will remain diligent in getting the best value for the taxpayer's dollar, while at the same time providing a quality road network that the town and its residents can be proud of.

12. Why do Highway Department employees water the flowers when it is raining?

Sometimes you may see us watering the flowers about town when it is raining. We fertilize the flowers six days a week. The canopy of flowers and leaves prevent rainwater from penetrating the soil base of the plant. Therefore, we use a special watering hose/nozzle to water the plants.

13. Who is in charge of maintaining street signs?

The Highway Department maintains the street signs on all roads in Bethlehem.