Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Snow Removal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New public works director outlines sidewalk and street snowplow priority system
Summary
David, the new public works director, described how sidewalk and street priority 1 and 2 maps in the GIS determine plow sequencing, highlighted equipment and staffing constraints (about 400 lane miles of roads and four sidewalk machines covering roughly 70 miles), and said simplified maps and in-cab monitoring will be published to inform residents.
The committee heard from David, the recently appointed public works director, about how the city prioritizes street and sidewalk plowing. David said the city maintains maps in the GIS that designate priority 1 and priority 2 routes for both roads and sidewalks; during storms crews focus on opening a travel lane on priority routes and then return to complete full clearance. He said the city plows roughly 400 lane miles of roads and has four sidewalk machines that together cover about 70 miles of sidewalks, and that equipment readiness and staffing (including personnel obtaining CDL licenses) affect how quickly routes are completed.
David said he is reviewing and simplifying the priority maps and plans to publish a public-facing map so residents can see the priority band for their location, though he cautioned the map will show where crews are scheduled to operate, not exact arrival times. He described adding in-cab monitoring and dispatch tracking so operators, foremen and dispatch can see route progress in real time and reduce reorientation time. Councilors asked about ordinances requiring private property sidewalk clearing; David said downtown residential sidewalks from the house to the main sidewalk are cleared by the city while commercial businesses typically handle certain frontage responsibilities.
