FAQ

With the huge quantities of leaves that accumulate in the fall, all available city cleaning resources are used for leaf removal. Nevertheless, it is not possible for the city cleaning service to be everywhere at the same time. Here, too, there are priorities with regard to the roads that are important for traffic or dangerous for traffic that need to be cleared of leaves. This has to be taken into account just as much as the cleaning classes defined in the current street cleaning statutes of the City of Aachen, which determine the frequency of cleaning.

First of all, the polluters/dog owners/handlers are responsible and must remove the soiling. Section 3 (3) of the currently valid street cleaning statutes of the City of Aachen states: "Anyone littering a public street beyond the usual extent must remove the litter without being asked to do so and without culpable delay. Para. 3 sentence 2 also applies to soiling caused by dog excrement. Dog handlers and dog owners are obliged to remove dog excrement from public roads immediately".

According to § 3 (1) of the currently valid street cleaning statutes of the City of Aachen, weeds are removed if they obstruct road traffic, significantly restrict the usable width of footpaths and cycle paths or are likely to damage road or footpath surfaces.

The specific scope of duties is determined by the cleaning class of my street and the other provisions of the street cleaning statutes, which are explained below. The respective cleaning class can be found on the notice of charges or in the street cleaning statutes. It can also be requested by telephone on 0241/432 18666 or viewed in the street cleaning regulations. Further information can also be found in the "Hand in Hand" flyer on street cleaning.

The scope of cleaning is set out in § 3 of the bylaws. Acceptable sidewalk cleaning basically includes the removal of all litter on the sidewalk - regardless of whether passers-by have deliberately thrown it away (cigarette packets, drinks cans, etc.), whether it has been caused by animals (e.g. dog excrement) or is simply due to nature. You should therefore also remove grass, wild herbs, algae and other plants from the sidewalk. Leaves must be removed immediately if, for example, they could cause slipping due to wetness or if there are so many leaves on the sidewalk that passers-by could trip or cyclists could fall.

The cleaning frequency is 52 cleanings per year, i.e. usually once a week. As a rule, you can freely choose the time at which you fulfill your obligation within the set time frame according to your needs and possibilities. Citizens should be able to go for a walk in a "clean city", especially at the weekend.

The same applies to the cleaning of sidewalks. If cleaning has been delegated, the entire roadway in front of your own property must be swept up to the middle. Please also sweep the opposite side of the road if the property opposite is not built on. In cul-de-sacs, you should make agreements with the owners of any end properties regarding alternate sweeping.

The roadway includes everything that is not part of the sidewalk or the pavement in mixed areas (1.50 m from the edge of the roadway). Roadway cleaning applies to the entire remaining road surface, i.e. in addition to the parts of the road used by traffic, in particular the dividing strips, paved verges, verges, bus stop bays and cycle paths (separated from the sidewalk).

The fee is the consideration for the provision of street cleaning and winter service by the city - for the service provided in the entire access road in which the property is located. A fee is therefore also charged even if no service is actually provided in front of your own property, for example because cars are constantly parked there or because the sweeper or snow clearing vehicle makes a detour due to other obstacles (tree beds, etc.). The fee also depends on the size and usability of the property, which is calculated according to the length of the sides of the property facing the access road. Finally, it depends on the time and scope of the service. The more services are provided in a street by residents themselves (transfer of sidewalk cleaning - transfer of roadway cleaning - summer cleaning/winter service), the lower the fee.

On the one hand, residents can be liable for damages if they have not fulfilled their duty and, for example, a passer-by falls and is injured. On the other hand, the city has the option of intervening with a fine. The obligation also applies if the owner is unable to clear or grit the street themselves due to infirmity, early start of work, vacation, illness or other reasons. They must then ensure that someone else takes care of this.

In the event of significant cleaning failures, e.g. if no street cleaning is carried out for a longer period of time due to a construction site that affects the majority of the street, fees can be reclaimed on a pro rata basis. The details can be found in § 9 of the statutes.

Footpaths must be cleared to a width of 1.50 meters along the property. The snow should not be cleared onto the roadway, but if possible to the edge of the sidewalk. If there is no set-off sidewalk in traffic-calmed streets, the edge of the carriageway must be kept free of snow and ice to a width of 1.50 meters. Please ensure that there are continuous pavements in the streets.

In addition, access to bus shelters and bus and train entrances at public transport stops and school bus stops must be cleared of snow and gritted in icy conditions. Combined footpaths and cycle paths are also the responsibility of the adjacent property owners.

The roadway includes everything that is not part of the sidewalk or the pavement in mixed areas (1.50 m from the edge of the roadway). Lane cleaning applies to the entire remaining road surface, i.e. in addition to the parts of the road used by traffic, in particular the dividing strips, paved verges, verges, bus stop bays and cycle paths (separated from the sidewalk).

Property owners who are responsible for the winter maintenance of roadways (cleaning class X) must also clear and grit crosswalks and so-called crossing aids.

The aim is to ensure that good, orderly and safe pedestrian traffic is possible for all citizens on all streets in the city, even in winter conditions. The city alone cannot achieve this goal without a drastic increase in costs and therefore charges for the entire inner-city road network.

In cleaning class X, the entire roadway in front of your own property must always be maintained up to the middle. Please also clear or grit the opposite side of the road if the property opposite is not built on. In cul-de-sacs, you should make agreements with the owners of any end properties regarding alternate clearing and gritting.

The content of the snow clearing and gritting obligation is set out in detail in § 4 of the statutes. Driving and pedestrian traffic must not be hindered or endangered by snow piles more than necessary. Inlets to drainage systems must be kept clear of snow and ice to ensure unimpeded drainage of meltwater in the event of a thaw. Otherwise there is a risk of flooding and renewed ice formation. The same applies to hydrants.

The use of a specific gritting material is not prescribed. In any case, the gritting material should have a good anti-slip effect. For environmental reasons, gritting with salt or de-icing substances is generally not permitted on footpaths. There is an exception to this rule if it is no longer possible to achieve a sufficient effect with de-icing agents, e.g. in icy conditions or on footpaths with a steep gradient. When using salt, care should be taken to maintain the greatest possible distance from adjacent vegetation. Salt should also not be used on private areas for the sake of the environment.

The street cleaning staff use de-icing salt on the roads. If grit is used, it would have to be constantly gritted to achieve the same effect. Studies by the Federal Environment Agency have shown that frequent re-spreading and subsequent sweeping up are more harmful to the environment overall, especially as newer spreaders and the use of brine have significantly reduced the amount of salt spread.

In individual cases, your obligations may also go beyond what is provided by the municipal street cleaning service. Please bear in mind that you are only responsible for the manageable area in front of your property, while the city must clean and secure the entire road network. This means, for example, that the city must have maintained the important and dangerous roads and road sections in winter until the start of rush hour (around 7.00 a.m. on weekdays).

Chippings and granulate can be obtained from building materials dealers for a fee. Please remember to bring your own container!