Tree branch pickup: Ann Arbor crews to make first pass through city starting Wednesday

Ann Arbor officials have released more information about the planned pickup of downed branches following last week's snow storm that tore limbs from trees throughout the city.

The city will provide curbside collection of woody debris from all neighborhoods, starting on Wednesday and working around the city on a two-week schedule.

Craig Hupy, the city's public services administrator, said city crews will be starting in the Burns Park neighborhood and then moving to Arbor Hills. He said those are two of the areas hit the hardest by the storm, but downed limbs are being reported across the city.

"Starting Wednesday, they will start going through the street with chippers and picking up any of the woody debris that has been brought out to the lawn extensions," he said.

A second pass is intended to be offered starting March 20 and ending March 29. The seasonal weekly compost pickup resumes after that.

"They would prefer for these first two passes that if you can bring out the branches intact, it's easier for them to handle with chippers — you don't have to cut it up or bundle it," Hupy said.

After normal yard waste pickup resumes in April, Hupy said, the city will be asking residents to cut up any remaining debris and putting it out either in their compost containers or bundled, because the city will be doing the pickup using different equipment at that point.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.