Photo by Flickr user Erin

The Bible tells us that to everything, there is a season (turn, turn, turn) and a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to reap, and a time to sow. A time to clean the streets, and a time to transition to leaf removal.

Okay, so maybe that last verse comes from the D.C. Department of Public Works rather than Ecclesiastes. Either way, residential street cleaning ends on October 30 in the District so DPW can transition to leaf collection on November 2.

Other than allowing employees to focus on their autumnal duties, street sweeping ends to avoid safety hazards. Part of the sweeping process includes spraying water, which can freeze in colder temperatures.

The leaf collection season will last through January 9, 2016 and follows a one-week schedule. After Christmas, public works will also collect all of the holiday trees you’re about to buy and decorate, only to toss into the street so they can be turned into compost.

The end of street sweeping also means the end of the alternate-side parking restrictions…until the seasons change again.