Heads up, Phoenix residents, the holiday season is going to shake things up with city services, and if you're not careful, you might just find your trash cans overflowing or your library books overdue. As the City of Phoenix announced, its offices are taking a little holiday of their own. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are the culprits this time around, so mark your calendars for December 24 and 25, when the gears of municipal work will be grinding to a festive halt.
Better hold on to your waste a little longer, since city trash collectors will be giving their trucks a rest on Christmas Day. Thursday's trash will have to wait until Friday, and then the Friday folks will see their bins emptied on Saturday. The transfer stations at 27th Ave. and North Gateway are clocking out early, too, at noon on Christmas Eve and not opening doors at all on Christmas Day. Want to talk it out with the Public Works Customer Contact Center? Better do it before they close at noon on December 24, or you'll have to hold your peace till they're back at 7 a.m. on the 26.
The guardians of knowledge, Phoenix Public Libraries, are also joining in the holiday spirit, planning to shut their doors at noon on Christmas Eve. They'll remain silent and still through Christmas Day, but don't worry, your thirst for wisdom can still be quenched online with their digital resources, which never sleep. Parking meters, those unblinking sentinels of the curbside, will keep watch as always, enforcing their dominion from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., even as the rest of the city takes a break, according to the City of Phoenix news release.
For those hoping to stretch their legs, parks and recreation facilities are offering a brief window of activity on Christmas Eve before they shut up for the holiday. The trails will remain open, though, so maybe it's a good time to take that hike you've been postponing. Remember, safety first—bears and cliffs rarely take a holiday. As for the S'edav Va'aki Museum, they'll be taking the entire Christmas Eve and Day off, which isn't unusual since they're always closed on Wednesdays.
Public transit will keep on rolling, with buses and light rails chugging along on a weekday schedule on Christmas Eve, minus the Express or RAPID bus service, and switching to their Sunday best for Christmas Day. Those planning to call upon Dial-a-Ride's services better get their requests in early, as it operates on a reservation-only only. Lastly, for those brave enough to venture to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, don't be the person who forgets to book their parking spot in advance, or the one surprised by how much time REAL ID and security checkpoints can devour. And keep an eye on your flight status; holiday weather and schedules can be as unpredictable as your uncle's eggnog recipe, according to the same news release.
