Make way for winter tree pruning

Published on January 07, 2026

This winter a portion of the Village’s 18,000-plus parkway trees are scheduled to be pruned. Residents are urged to move their cars from the streets when temporary no-parking signs go up to allow crews to prune parkway trees quickly and safely during the winter pruning cycle.

A private contractor will prune most parkway trees in the following areas in the central section of Oak Park:

• Between South Boulevard and Madison Street
• Between Madison Street and I-290 from Scoville Avenue to Austin Boulevard

Additionally, the Village’s Forestry Division will be pruning mainly younger trees in the following areas in the north section of Oak Park:

• Between North Avenue and Division Street
• Between Division Street and Chicago Avenue from Ridgeland Avenue to Austin Boulevard

Crews and staff follow industry best management practices for tree pruning to address three key issues — tree health, resident safety and protecting property from damage.

Dead or dying limbs are removed, tree canopies raised to allow for safe vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and appropriate clearances created for adjacent structures and signs. Younger trees will also be pruned to develop good structure to reduce problems as they grow and mature.

Pruning can be more apparent when there are no leaves on the tree. However, the return of leaves in the spring often makes this less noticeable.

With a program that aims to prune every tree on public property once every four years, plans must consider that parkway trees can grow up to two feet each year — or eight feet between pruning cycles.

The Village’s pruning program has proven successful in minimizing storm damage and reducing ongoing pruning requests.

Residents are urged to call 708.358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us with questions or concerns about the type or quality of work being performed by contractors.

More information on the care of the nearly 18,000 trees on public property is posted at www.oak-park.us/trees.