Roads crew prepares for what winter brings
Snow and Ice Control program ready to roll in coming months
The City of Calgary says its roads crews are ready for winter, which hopefully means fewer headaches for Calgarians following big snowfalls.
The Snow and Ice Control program (SNIC) is the strategic plan used by the city to maintain major thoroughfares in Calgary during the winter months.
Roads maintenance manager Bill Biensch said they have no shortage of manpower or equipment at the ready, acknowledging the likelihood of another slow winter isn’t high.
“We’ve got 78 sanders and 27 graders, as well as staff ready to go round the clock,” he said.
The SNIC plan sees crews clear roads on a priority basis. Essentially, the higher volume of traffic on a specific road, the higher the priority.
Priority 1 roads include major thoroughfares such as Deerfoot Trail, Glenmore Trail and Crowchild Trail. Kensington Road, Acadia Drive and all designated emergency routes and on-street bike routes are considered Priority 2.
One aspect of the SNIC plan is the enforcement of parking bans when snow becomes too heavy, though Calgary drivers haven’t had to deal with one since 2014.
City staff believe it might be worthwhile to re-educate the public on the ins and outs of parking bans and snow route protocol.
“We had no parking bans for the past couple of winters, which is definitely a story,” Biensch said.
He added the sheer lack of snow last year meant the city was able to conserve more of the materials it uses to keep the roads safe for drivers.
“We’ve used very little aggregate, and have typically used just salt and brine solution so far this autumn.”
For Calgarians who prefer two wheels to four, all downtown cycle tracks are considered Priority 1 roads and will be plowed, without exception, within the first 24 hours of a major snowstorm.
Financially, the city’s snowclearing budget is in fairly good shape.
To go along with a healthy $8.3-million reserve fund, Biensch said they remain well under the budget provided for the 2016 calendar year, with only $23 million of the $37 million being spent.