WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT
Cold taking its toll on local residents
A colder, icier winter has resulted in more than 10 times the number of winter-related calls for service to the City of Regina compared to the same time last year.
“We’ve had slightly more precipitation this year as opposed to up to this time last year. That, coupled with the cold conditions, equals icier conditions on the roadway,” said Tyler Bien, manager of roadway seasonal operations for the city.
So far this winter, the city has received 372 winter-related calls for service, compared to 35 at the same time last year. Of those, 246 were requests for ice control. The other 126 calls were for things like snow windrows and concerns over obscured sightlines.
The city has applied more than 7,300 tonnes of sand and salt to help with slippery road conditions so far this year, compared to just 6,000 tonnes by this time last year. But with less than average snowfall this season, the city has only had to do two “systematic snow plows,” which occur when more than five centimetres of snow has fallen.
The below average snowfall combined with extreme cold temperatures have put two winter maintenance expansion projects on hold for now.
In a report released by administration in October that summarized the 2018-19 winter maintenance season as well as changes and improvements for the 201920 season, the city revealed a plan to expand its use of liquid salt by adopting pre-wetting technology.
The plan came after a successful pilot project last winter, but with training for the alternative technology having just wrapped up before the extreme cold hit, Bien said the expansion has been delayed.
“With the liquid salt, below -25 is too cold for it to be effective,” he said. “Instead we’ve been using the dry sand mixture with about six per cent dry salt to improve the traction on the pavement surface.”
The city has also delayed the addition of 11 kilometres of snow routes, which will bring the total kilometres of snow routes in Regina up to 16. Bien said the routes will not be expanded until the city experiences a significant snowfall, but plans are all ready in place for when that time comes.
Research is still being done to look for improvements that can be made to the city’s ice control material storage facility as well as a comparative study and analysis of snow fence versus snow ridge programs.
Bien said both projects should wrap up over this winter and the summer months and any changes required as a result of the analysis in place for next winter.
The city is also currently undergoing a winter maintenance policy review. Any recommended changes will come before council for consideration in the third quarter of 2020.
While there are no major storm warnings currently in effect, Bien said the city is always ready to respond in case one comes sweeping through.
“The City of Regina is always prepared for unfavourable weather conditions,” he said. “We currently have 20 hours a day, seven days a week (winter maintenance) coverage. When a weather system moves in we switch to 24 hour a day coverage for any plowing and ice control needs.”