City to try new approach to snow routes
On a sunny fall day when the temperature hit 20 degrees, the City of Regina got a head start on winter and announced a new snow route pilot program.
Mayor Michael Fougere announced Wednesday that beginning Nov. 1, when five or more centimetres of snow falls, there will be a 24-hour parking ban along a five-kilometre route involving three primary road sections.
Snow will be cleared on both sides of the street, from curb to curb, on Victoria Avenue (from Broad Street to Winnipeg Street); Winnipeg Street (from Victoria Avenue to College Avenue) and College Avenue (from Winnipeg Street to Arcola Avenue).
“When we have people parking on the streets, it means that during a big snowstorm it’s hard to get buses through, it’s hard to get cars through, trucks through, ambulances through and police through to do their work,” Fougere said.
Residents who don’t move their vehicles during the parking ban will receive a $110 ticket.
Reginans approved the move when the city consulted them about implementing snow routes in March 2016.
Roughly 62 per cent of those surveyed said they supported a snow route declaration and temporary parking bans. About 40 per cent said the city should ticket and tow vehicles in violation of snow routes and 72 per cent wanted vehicle owners to pay the cost of enforcement and towing.
Residents interested in details of the pilot project are encouraged to attend come-and-go information sessions to run from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 5 and Oct. 11 at St. Mary’s Hall, 2020 Winnipeg St. Child care will be provided.
If the pilot works well, it could be expanded in future years.
Last winter, the city monitored snow removal on the designated routes to determine how long it took to clear the streets, the height and width of windrows, the width of plowed driving lanes and the number of vehicles that snow removal equipment had to work around, said Norman Kyle, director of roadways and transportation.
Last year’s data will be compared with information gathered this year to determine the program’s success in improving traffic flow.
“This isn’t changing anything in the current winter policy as far as priorities, other than we’re asking the public for voluntary compliance when we (state) that snow routes are in effect that they park on an alternate street,” Kyle said.
Neighbourhood residents will be informed eight hours before the parking ban is declared by email, through Facebook, Twitter or by following the city’s website. Residents can sign up now at Regina. ca/snowroutes, or call Service Regina at 306-777-7000.
Signs with a blue background and white snowflake will be installed along the routes to identify no parking zones.
The annual winter maintenance budget is just over $9 million.