Improvements to our snow removal strategy
23
2011
It's been clear this winter that many Ward 12 residents are not satisfied with our current snow removal strategies. In response to residents' feedback, Council has been discussing possible solutions with Administration. City staff have been working hard to find more effective and timely strategies, traveling to other Canadian cities to compare tactics and doing research into what would work in Edmonton.
I am very supportive of the changes Council approved this month. I think they will significantly address many of the complaints that were raised to me these past months. However, our review of the snow and ice policy will and should be ongoing, so I continue to welcome feedback on how the clearance of our sidewalks and roads is affecting you and could be improved.
The proposed changes to our snow/ice policy will now undergo an independent, external peer review to ensure they will benefit Edmonton as a whole. Once this review is done, the policy will return to Council again for consideration. Here are some of the key changes being proposed at this time:
- Timelines: There is currently no timeframe for completion of residential plowing cycles -- this created many problems this year. Transportation now proposes a target of five working days to complete all residential roads. This will involve crews working 24 hours per day.
- Snow removal on collector bus routes: Purchase of snow blowers has been approved to allow for full removal of windrows (as opposed to only plowing) from collector bus routes. This will limit the interruptions to transit service (of which there were too many this winter) and allow for safer navigation of these routes.
- Priority locations: Transportation will create a list of areas that need priority attention after snowfalls. These include high frequency pick-up/drop-off locations for DATS, access points for emergency vehicle facilities onto main roads, and schools on residential roads.
- Emergency snow removal: While proper snow clearance is crucial every year, not all winters will be nearly as bad as this past one. Due to this unpredictability, the City now recommends three levels of response: normal response, severe winter snowfall events, and emergency events. A severe event response would begin once snow exceeds 30cm; an emergency response would begin if portions of the transportation network are shut down due to snow. Having different levels of response in place should prepare us for extraordinary winters like the one we've just had.
- Snow dump sites: A permanent snow storage site is scheduled for construction in 2011. This new site will allow for 1,500,000 cubic metres of storage.
- Parking bans: Many Canadian cities already use parking bans to improve the effectiveness and speed of snow clearance. We are now proposing a seasonal parking ban (November 15 - March 15) on residential bus routes. Many of these routes proved slow and downright dangerous this year, so while the City aims to provide on-street parking when possible, our first priority needs to be keeping traffic moving safely. In cases of severe snowfall response, an overnight parking ban could also occur on all residential roads, with 24 hours' notice given.
- Communication: The City needs to better communicate its activities related to snow and ice clearance. We will improve webpage updates, media information, and staff availability to deal with the increased needs during snow responses.
In preparation for these improvements, I supported Council's decision to purchase of an additional 20 truck sander/plow units and 5 snow blower attachments. This decision needed to be made soon in order to have the equipment available in time for next year.
I think these changes will do a great deal to improve the unsatisfactory service many people experienced this winter. While the current policy accommodated normal but not extreme winters, the new policy is intended to keep us prepared for whatever our winter climate sends our way.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with feedback on these snow removal strategies.
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