Snow Control & De-Icing
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City snow control and de-icing is provided by Municipal employees and equipment supplemented with rented private sector equipment and operators in all areas of the City including OK Landing and Blue Jay.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT SNOW OPERATIONS
What are the sanding/plowing priorities?
Sanding and plowing priorities are based on the volumes of traffic
and the steepness of the terrain. The main streets or "arterials",
are completed first.
- Priority 1:
Collector roads, steep hills, school zones, and transit routes such as Silver Star Road, 27 St., Kal Lake Road, Okanagan Landing Road, Tronson Road, 43 Ave., 39 Ave., 32 Ave., Allenby Way, 40 St. south of Okanagan Ave.
- Priority 2:
Residential roads that are flat or have a slight grade are sanded and plowed within twenty-four hours of the completion of a snowstorm.
Why does the City spray liquid
on the roads in the winter?
The City sprays magnesium chloride on high priority streets
in advance of and during a snow storm to improve road traffic safety.
The liquid is applied at various concentrations depending on temperature
and anticipated volumes of snow. The liquid helps prevent snow and
ice from bonding to the road surface. The anti-icing program is
a proactive approach used in an attempt to improve road safety at
the start of a winter storm as apposed to conventional reactive
snow removal practices.
Another benefit of the program is reduced black ice conditions. Magnesiuim Chloride is an effective tool when temperatures dip below -10 celsius and salt loses its effectiveness. The product can be applied during regular working hours saving overtime costs. There's less sand to pick up, the product has corrosion inhibitors, and using magnesium chloride is more environmentally friendly.
Click here to view web drawing of Anti-Icing Route (DWF - 416Kb)
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This drawing is a DWF file, download the free DWF Viewer from Autodesk. |
Why can’t the City remove
the snow from my driveway entrance?
A significant investment in equipment and increase in the snow
and ice control budget would be required to remove snow from over
6,000 driveways in the City. Our equipment plows snow to the right
hand side of the road, and with our system we rely on residents
and business to remove the snow from their driveways. This service
is the most economical to you, the taxpayer. Remember when shovelling
your driveway to always pile the snow on the left side of the driveway
(facing the property). This will give you a better line of vision
of the traffic coming and when our plows go by, we will not drag
your shovelled piles back into your driveway entrance. Always keep
spring thaw in mind when selecting where to pile the snow.
May I place the snow from my
driveway onto the travelled portion of the street?
No! The placing of snow on the travelled portion of the roadway
is not permitted under the City’s Traffic Control Bylaw. This
regulation helps to ensure that potentially dangerous situations
for motorists are avoided.
Why
does the plow go by once, and after I clean my sidewalks and driveway,
the plow comes by again?
The City of Vernon snow removal fleet consists of two (2) grader
plows, two (2) front end loader plows, one(1) backhoe for cleaning
cul-de-sacs, one (1) skid steer Loader, two (2) single axle trucks
equipped with sander units and belly plows, three (3) tandem trucks
equipped with sander unit and belly plow as well as two (2) one
ton dump trucks complete with front mounted plows and sand spreaders.
The sander trucks are efficient to clear a single lane and get traffic
moving, then on a priority basis the grader or loader plows will
come back to your street and plow the rest of the street to the
curbs. This will ensure adequate storage for future snowfalls. The
City will make every attempt to avoid plowing snow onto sidewalks.
Why are there piles of snow
in the center of the road downtown?
The Operations Department plows the snow to the center of the
street in early morning so the parking areas are not blocked with
snow. This snow is removed usually the following night with a snowblower
and trucks.
Why can’t the trucks plow
all the snow to the other side of the street where there are no
sidewalks or driveways?
The snowplows are designed to plow snow to the right hand side.
In order to plow all the snow to one side, the equipment would have
to drive on the wrong side of the road creating an unsafe traffic
situation and this would take more time which means the streets
not serviced yet would have to wait longer.
What snow plowing is done by
the Highways Department in the City of Vernon?
The Highways Department contract with Argo Road Maintenance
to plow the snow on Highway 97 and Highway 6 through the City. They
plow all the snow to the right hand side of the road and the City
of Vernon is responsible for removing the snow.
Why can’t the City remove
the snow from the sidewalk in front of my property?
As with driveway snow clearing, when you consider the length
of sidewalks in the City, it is just too costly and time consuming
to use additional people and equipment to perform this service for
all areas. The Good Neighbour Bylaw # 4980 requires the owner or occupier
of property to remove snow and ice from sidewalks or footpaths bordering
his/her property. If the property owner fails to clear the sidewalk,
the Bylaw Enforcement Officer has the authority to remove the snow
at the property owner’s expense. The Operations Department
and Parks Department remove snow from sidewalks adjacent to civic
buildings, selected parks and pedestrian accesses. If you wish to
report a sidewalk area not cleared, please call the Bylaw Enforcement
at 550-3505.
Sidewalks bordering City owned properties are cleared by City crews. 32 St (Highway 97) sidewalks are cleared by City crews due to the heavy amount of snow from off the road.
I am a senior citizen and I
have trouble shovelling my sidewalk and/or driveway. What can I
do?
Hopefully a volunteer neighbour, or a relative, will assist
you, or a young person in the neighbourhood could be hired for a
small fee.
How can I help the City and
Argo Road Maintenance do a good job?
One of the main obstacles for equipment operators is parked
vehicles and recreational vehicles on snow routes. Once the snow
starts, removing your vehicles from the street, cul-de-sac, or alley
until the roads are cleared will allow the operators to do a much
better job.
How can I improve my personal
safety this winter?
Allow yourself additional time to arrive at your destination
and drive according to weather conditions, yield to snow plows and
sanders which at times must plow and sand the centre line of the
road. As a pedestrian, always wear appropriate footwear and reflective
clothing.
Please remember that snow and ice control is not a substitute for cautious and defensive driving practices when operating a vehicle under winter conditions.
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