Ann Arbor reviews winter maintenance after 2024–25 season; contractor sidewalk work and new snow-parking ban highlighted

Paul Matthews, the City of Ann Arbor public works manager, told the Transportation Commission on April 16, 2025, that the 2024–25 winter season prompted several operational changes the city will continue: a new contracted sidewalk- and pedestrian-facility clearing program, expanded contracted residential plowing capacity, upgraded equipment for bike-lane clearing, and a recently approved on-street snow-parking ban ordinance.

Matthews said the city spent about $44,000 on the contractor that cleared sidewalks and pedestrian islands this winter, including one clearing of Downtown Development Authority (DDA) ramps. The city budgeted up to $500,000 for contracted snow services (a cap that also covered supplemental residential street plowing), but the mild winter meant the full budget was not expended. “We do intend to extend with them,” Matthews said of the sidewalk contractor, adding that initial performance challenges were addressed during the season.

The commission heard that the city deployed a Ventrac unit and ran two crews dedicated to protected-bike-facility maintenance, and that two plow-tracking and mapping tools were implemented so supervisors can see number of passes and where follow-up is required. Matthews said the city maintains pedestrian facilities that have no private owner (for example, sidewalks that back private properties or refuge islands) and that the sidewalk-clearing map showing city-responsible segments is available and will be updated.

The new on-street snow-parking ban ordinance allows the city to declare a temporary ban to clear residential streets more efficiently. Matthews said the city will typically invoke the ban for storms producing 4 inches or more of snow and will announce the ban at least 12 hours before expected enforcement; initial enforcement will emphasize voluntary compliance before towing. Exemptions are limited and were designed mainly for blocks with no driveway access; residents can request exemptions for review.

Matthews described the city’s residential-plowing standard: where the city determines full plowing is required (typically after storms of 4 inches or more), the target is to plow residential streets within 24 hours after the snow stops. The commission was told that the city brought in contractor support twice this winter (contractor KBK was named in the discussion) to meet this service level during heavier events.

Commissioners asked for clarifications about responsibility boundaries, cross-jurisdiction coordination with neighboring townships, and whether the sidewalk map includes all city-maintained features. Matthews said staff will review and reconcile city and parks maps and follow up on missing segments reported by commissioners. He also said the city is exploring expanded outreach and notification options (email lists, Everbridge subscriptions) for future declarations of the parking ban.

Commissioners noted improvements in complaint volumes and response times and asked staff to consider objective metrics beyond service-request counts (A2 Fix It requests) to track winter performance over time.

No formal commission action was taken; the presentation was an informational update and staff follow-ups were requested.