CITY IS PROACTIVE WITH SNOW CLEARING TO PREVENT RUTS
Beginning Monday, January 20, grader crews will be clearing compacted snow by neighbourhood on streets across the city. This is a proactive approach to reduce the snow pack on the roadways. Snow pack on the roadways is what allows for the formation of ruts to develop. As part of the increased level of service for snow management through the new dedicated road levy funding, provisions were made to include city-wide snow clearing. The levy will be used to increase road reconstruction and rehabilitation, and increase road maintenance services. The city-wide snow clearing will be performed only on streets that are not already designated on the priority street network for snow clearing. These priority streets receive multiple clearings throughout the winter and do not have the applicable snow pack development. Multiple two-grader crews will clear streets that are outside of the priority system in two neighbourhoods each day. For residential neighbourhoods, the snow clearing will be performed during the weekdays, beginning with the first identified neighbourhoods Montgomery and Willowgrove. The first week schedule follows and subsequent schedules will be posted on the City’s website www.saskatoon.ca/go/snow. as the snow clearing progresses.
“The current snow pack across the city is approximately 4-5 inches, which means that ruts can and are developing at that depth. The presence of the unseasonably warm weather we are experiencing can serve to accelerate the development of ruts that become more problematic as temperatures drop and the ruts freeze,” says Director of Public Works, Pat Hyde. “To prevent this from happening now or in the spring after more snow has fallen, we are being proactive and clearing the streets as close to the pavement as we can.”
In order for an efficient clearing that maximizes and maintains wide driving lanes, and allows for storage of snow, all vehicles must be removed from the street. Where and when possible, grader crews will do their best to leave at least one parking space clear for each house. This may not always be achievable as the snow needs to be pushed to the side of the roads for storage.
Yellow ‘No Parking’ sandwich board signs, supplemented with matching paper No Parking signs in some cases, will be posted 36 hours in advance of the scheduled clearing to notify drivers to move their vehicles. The yellow, high-visibility sandwich boards will be posted throughout the neighbourhoods on the main roads, important intersections and high-volume traffic areas. Vehicles left on the street within the designated neighbourhoods at 7:00 a.m. will be relocated and ticketed and ordered to pay a fine of $100 (no reduction available). Drivers can locate their vehicle with the Find My Vehicle! application on the City’s website or by calling the Public Works customer service line at 306-975-2476 or public.works@saskatoon.ca
The street clearing schedule may be required to be changed as the program progresses, depending on the conditions of the streets. If it snows, the clearing program will be on hold as crews are deployed to clear the priority streets. Any neighbourhood/street that is cancelled will be rescheduled and No Parking signs will be re-posted again to notify residents. Visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/snow to learn more about the City’s snow and ice management program or contact the Public Works customer service line at 306-975-2476 or public.works@saskatoon.ca.
Street Clearing Schedule – January 20 - 24
Monday, January 20 – Montgomery and Willowgrove
Tuesday, January 21 – Silverwood Heights and Wildwood
Wednesday, January 22 – Arbor Creek and Hampton Village
Thursday, January 23 – Fairhaven and Sutherland
Friday, January 24 – Lawson Heights and Silverspring