DOTI Rings in the New Year with Expanded Citywide Services

Published on January 03, 2025

Stacked compost carts

DOTI Rings in the New Year with Expanded Citywide Services, Updated Solid Waste Collection Schedules for 2025

DENVER— Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) would like to remind residents of new and expanded services it’s kicking off in the new year, and where customers and property owners can access information about solid waste service changes and a new citywide sidewalk repair and construction program.

Calling All Interested Composters!

DOTI has accelerated its expansion of compost collection service across the city, working in a final rollout area now that’s comprised of Solid Waste Collection Districts 1, 6, 7 and 9. Residents in these areas are encouraged to let DOTI know what size compost cart they’d like to receive by Friday, January 10, to be prioritized for cart deliveries in February and March. Customers in all parts of the city who have not yet signed up for composting can do so at any time by contacting 311 or going to www.denvergov.org/utilitiesonline.

View 2025 Solid Waste Collection Schedules

To accelerate the rollout of compost and align with customer usage, DOTI is moving to every-other-week recycling collection and every-nine-week large item pickup service in 2025. Solid Waste Management customers are encouraged to visit www.denvergov.org/trashschedule to review their collection schedules for recycling and large item pickup in 2025, or download the Denver Trash and Recycling Mobile App. Both online and via the app, people can choose to receive collection reminders for trash, recycling, compost and large item pickup as email, text or calendar reminders. Customers can make extra room in their recycling carts by tearing down boxes.

Take Advantage of Treecycle Drop Sites in January

 “Tis the season for residents to recycle their holiday trees and give them a new lease on life through Denver's Treecycle program! Denver residents can drop holiday trees off at designated drop sites this month to have them turned into mulch. Three weekday drop sites opened last week and five Saturday drop-sites are open TOMORROW, January 4, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations:

  • Sloan’s Lake Park (Northwest Parking Lot) - W. Byron Pl. and Yates St.
  • Fred Thomas Park - 2400 Quebec St.
  • Evie Dennis School Campus - 4800 Telluride St.
  • John F. Kennedy High School - 2855 S. Lamar St.
  • Central Platte Campus - 1271 W. Bayaud Ave. (Extended hours until 4:00 p.m.)

More drop-site days and locations offered in January can be found at www.denvergov.org/Treecycle. Residents should remove all decorations, lights and the tree stand before dropping the tree off at a collection site.

New Tools to Prepare Property Owners for Sidewalk Fee

Starting this year, the City and County of Denver will begin charging property owners a fee to fund a citywide sidewalk repair and construction program approved by voters in 2022. The sidewalk program will repair existing sidewalks, widen sidewalks that are too narrow and construct sidewalks where they’re currently missing. A fee to fund the program will be included on people’s stormwater bills, with the first half of the annual sidewalk fee charged the first half of the year and the second half of the sidewalk fee charged the second half of the year. Per adjustments made to the original ordinance, the vast majority of property owners will pay a $150 flat fee annually. Information about our sidewalk affordability program can be found at www.denvergov.org/DOTIrebates.

Residents can visit www.denvergov.org/sidewalks for frequently asked questions and to access the new tools and resources listed below that were designed to support the launch of the new sidewalk program, including:

  • a new fee lookup tool property owners can use to confirm their sidewalk fee, based on their address and property frontage.
  • a form people can use to apply for an instant rebate on their sidewalk fee based on income and household size. Property owners already receiving the instant rebate for solid waste management services will automatically receive the sidewalk rebate and need not re-apply until their current trash rebate ends.
  • a place on Denver’s Online Services Hub where people can report major sidewalk damage. Note that sidewalk repairs are not on-demand, but damage reports received by the department are being inspected and triaged and those that meet certain criteria are being placed on a spot repair program. Reports of major sidewalk damage that have been received and inspected by DOTI and that meet spot repair program criteria can be viewed on this map along with their status. Examples of sidewalk issues that may be addressed in the spot repair program include:
    • adjoining sections of sidewalk with an elevation difference greater than one inch
    • adjoining sections of sidewalk with gaps greater than one inch
    • extensive raveling and major breaking

Note the city does not currently have a timeline for when specific segments of sidewalk will be repaired or installed as part of the new sidewalk program. As it begins to receive revenue from the sidewalk fee in 2025, DOTI will secure a concrete contractor to make spot repairs and professional services support to develop a sidewalk master plan required by the ordinance that will include an initial investment plan. Currently, the department is looking to procure program management support.