City ready for snow season, are you?

The City of Prince George is ready for winter and asks residence do the same for the winter driving season.

“The biggest thing for us is we ask people to be patient as we move snow,” Jordan Wiseman, the city’s manager of roads and fleet, said. “Give us a lot of room if at all possible. I realize people are trying to get to where they need to go but snow removal is a very important work piece in Prince George being such a winter city. So give them plenty of space, try to respect the equipment and give them room above all else.”

Winter parking restrictions

Plowing around parked vehicles can slow down operations and create hazards for other vehicles by creating windrows in the street. The City’s winter parking restrictions are in effect from October 15 to April 15 each year to help with snow operations:

· On-street parking is prohibited from midnight to 7 a.m. downtown.

· On-street parking is prohibited from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Priority One roads and hills, the Hospital District, and a number of other designated roads.

· n-street parking is prohibited from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in residential areas. Parking on the side of the street with odd house numbers is permitted from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. unless otherwise posted.

· Illegally parked vehicles are subject to a $50 ticket per offence and/or may be towed.

City operations following a snow event

City Snow and Ice Control Policy classifies a “snow event” as 7.5 cm of snow falling and accumulating over a 24-hour period. The order that streets are plowed following a significant snowfall in is determined by a number of factors including traffic volumes. The Policy categorizes the City’s 735 km of roads and 200 km of sidewalks into three snow-clearing priority routes, which are identified by colour on the City’s snow clearing priority routes map which can be found at princegeorge.ca/snow.

1.  Priority One (red) routes include the City’s biggest, busiest streets and boulevards, their adjacent sidewalks, and the downtown central business district and hospital district. Crews aim to clear these within 48 hours after the snow event ends.

2.  Priority Two (green) routes include Prince George’s collector roads and sidewalks as well as commercial and industrial zoning roads, laneways, and curb-adjacent sidewalks. Crews aim to clear these within 48 hours after the snow event ends.

3.  Priority Three (gray) routes include the City’s residential streets, sidewalks, and park paths. If at least 12cm of snow falls in 24 hours, the City aims to clear these routes within 72 hours after Priority One (Red) and Priority Two (Green) have been completed.

A heavy snowfall declaration is issued by the City of Prince George and the Prince George RCMP when at least 20 centimetres of snow accumulates in a 24-hour period. During a heavy snowfall declaration, snow removal completion times will be extended by 24 hours for each additional eight centimetres of accumulated snow (on top of the initial 20 centimetres).

By the numbers

Crews with the City of Prince George have a fleet of snow and ice control equipment comprised of the following:

· 7 graders

· 4 loaders

· 1 loader plow

· 1 snow blower

· 4 sidewalk machines

· 8 plow trucks The City also contracts crews and several pieces of equipment:

· 6 graders on retainer

· 2 bull dozers on retainer

· Up to 14 loaders following snow events

· Up to 16 trucks to haul snow following snow events

Snow and ice control equipment requires routine repair, maintenance, and maintenance, which affects equipment availability and numbers.

Be a good neighbour

There are many ways to make navigating the roads in wintertime easier, including:

· Residents are encouraged to shovel and sand walkways and sidewalks adjacent to their property to improve safety conditions for pedestrians as soon as possible after a snow event.

· Offer to shovel a neighbour’s driveway – particularly if they are mobility-challenged.

· When snowplows are in operation, slow down and stay back at least three car lengths. Patience and awareness around equipment reduces hazards from sanding operations.

· All vehicles should have a good set of winter tires.

· Drive to conditions and allow extra time following large snowfalls.

· Never shovel snow into the street. This is illegal and can cause passing vehicles to lose control.

· Be patient. It snows in Prince George – sometimes a lot!

Further information about City snow and ice control operations can be found at www.princegeorge.ca/snow.

Residents can view an online video for an overview of these operations.