AFAIK, the bin however will still be picked up every week, so maybe what does not fit can sit 'til next week or a neighbor can lend theirs (I have done this). I can only comment on what I have observed, but it looks to me like a little effort will accommodate the situation.

In the middle of the January 10, 2019 meeting of the Bicycling, Transportation and Street Safety Commission - when we were looking at Davis Claw-ism as a Special Agenda item - we had a problem: There was an active shooter about, possibly near the Senior Center. They'd already shot DPD Officer Natalie Corona - who died soon after of her wounds - and shot at several others. Mayor Lee - the BTSSC liaison - was present, and both he and I think staff at the City facility got the call that we should shelter in place. Shortly after we moved out of the Valente room - with windows on two sides - to the adjacent one with no windows. (The meeting minutes don't reflect a change of venue.) The external doors of the Center were also locked.

It was a smart move for safety reasons.

OK, either before or after the move to the better-protected room, four members of the public spoke about the danger of officially-sanctioned piles of generally-dark colored, barbed with cut tree branch ends, completely without reflector-ized surfaces (unlike motor vehicles, bicycles and anything not normally expected in the street in civilized places) trash in the public right-of-way. One had been seriously injured in a crash whilst riding a bicycle into one of these Davis Danger Street Piles.

Several Commissioners were of similar opinion. A motion failed - it was about a lack of data. The second motion was mine - seconded by then Commissioner Gudz*:

“Keeping street safety as a paramount consideration of this body, the BTSSC recommends the City Council switches yard material on-street collection to 12 pickups with a concentrated weekly schedule as appropriate, with the ultimate goal being a phase out of the program and to support an educational program for property managers to better manage their waste on side [sic] as a complement to the termination.”.

It was passed unanimously -- I had accepted a friendly amendment by Commissioner Andrews to not have a fixed date for the phase out.

The Council’s decision on the issue later that month decided on 17 pick-ups, every other week during the traditional Davis Street Danger Piles Season where it is legally-permitted for the Piles to hunt people riding bikes (which is not the same as “cyclists”), and no concrete timeline for phase out, though the Holy Claw of Davis would need to replaced sooner rather than later. There would be no new program organized to support meaning-well citizens to collect and compost yard waste on site, to share the organic waste containers of neighbors or to consider the option of leaving leaves where they lie, which itself is supported by soil scientists and tree experts alike.

The main result, it seems, was to save money. The Davis Street Danger Piles would remain in the street during Season, but officially were only allowed their Joy of the Traditional Hunt every other week just under eight months a year.

As we know, the Piles tend to exceed the official limits, both of time and space -- the latter refers to the legally-allowed distance from the curb. Their continued presence may violate state water-quality standards. While the general happiness of cycling in Davis is fairly-unique in the state, what’s even more rare is the City’s hunting permits given to its Street Danger Piles. That the latter is used to assault the former - our City’s symbol - cannot be honestly reflected upon in blog-text, verse or poetry, but only in the dirty, secret center of every human’s hypothalamus -- where irony began.

- BTSS Commissioner Edelman, speaking on my own behalf.

* Curiously this was about nine months before Gudz and two other then-Commissioners wrote: “We believe that Todd Edelman has been given more than enough time to become a productive member [of the BTSSC].”

Another thing to consider: Last week, the claw came to our street one day early! If you are considering putting your LITS material out at the end of the day before your scheduled pickup, you might get passed over.

On my street there is a parking lane in addition to a bike lane and a traffic lane. Yes its a six lane street. Its easy to keep yard waste out of the bike lane. The problem with the one size fits all solution that you describe as "civilized" is that it assumes to know what civilized is without regard to the needs of the entire community.

>> Seems to me that there's "room for compromise", on most streets. I'd suggest that the BTSSC (and their supporters) cease their "total war on yard waste", and instead accept some compromise - in the interest of the entire community. <<

Oddly enough, what you are railing against here IS that compromise you wish to see.

Ah. Understood, Ron.

For many, many reasons, this system is not sustainable. Financially and otherwise.

Are you aware of what percentage (or total number) of Calif cities still use loose waste pickup?

I would add that gathering all branches at once (via the claw) is probably less-expensive (and less-impactful) than creating a need for individual trips to the landfill, either by a professional landscape company or individual homeowners (assuming they're able to transport the material in the first place).

Asking neighbors for permission to use their cans (at at time of year when they might also be full) may not be reasonable, nor adequate. (Not to mention the fact that one would probably have to "time" their requests to coincide with the time that their neighbors put the cans out for pickup.)

To some degree, I see a lack of concern regarding the needs and concerns of others, in regard to this issue. (From both sides, really.)

Again, I do understand the problem on streets that are heavily-used by bicyclists and cars.

Todd: I'm not an expert regarding water quality, either. However, the street drains have no direct relationship with drinking water, to my knowledge.

We are referring to organic plant material (placed in the street for short periods of time). The same type of material generated in vast amounts in large, natural areas of the state. (The same areas which are the source of most of the state's drinking water).

Vast amounts of leaves are still going to end up in the street, regardless of whether or not the claw is used to pick them up.

I'm failing to see how this is a significant problem for water quality, especially when compared to the oil and other inorganic waste that ends up in the street everyday. Perhaps it is a concern, but this doesn't seem to be the primary reason for local opposition from some bicyclists, at least.

Regarding being more difficult to see (and taking up a larger footprint), I realize that. Then again, I can (somehow) see the piles myself at night - from the lighting provided by streetlights alone. Perhaps a combination of slowing down, using adequate lights, and keeping the piles off of main bicycle/car thoroughfares is a workable solution.

Note that parked cars themselves take up a lot of the same spaces (as the yard waste) to begin with - thereby (already) forcing bicycles to ride a few feet away from the curb.

Again, many streets have very few bicyclists coming by. I'd say that banning the piles altogether would be a perfect example of the "tail wagging the dog". In my opinion, bicyclists aren't doing themselves any favors, by pushing this beyond a reasonable solution.

I suspect that we'll just have to "agree to disagree".

I think it's a great idea and wish the city would eliminate the claw entirely. If residents chop stuff up and pack it down, the largest bin can handle just about anything the typical Davis yard can produce. If you have an exceptionally large amount of leaves and debris on an average weekly basis, you can order additional bins. It's all about chopping up what you put in and packing it down hard! The claw is a convenience only. It is not a necessity. Do the work. And if you really believe it can't work, you can message me and I will personally help you figure out how to make it work. Strange how no one picks up on my offer. It's like people who want to complain really don't want there to be any other solution that "what we've always done".