CITY POLICY
POLICY NUMBER: REFERENCE: City Council 2010 05 12 City Council 2007 07 17 City Council 2007 03 20 City Council 2006 03 21 City Council 2001 09 11 City Council 1989 12 12 City Council 1984 01 10 City Council 1982 03 09 City Council 1981 02 24 City Council 1978 11 14 Transportation Services PREPARED BY: TITLE: Snow and Ice Control Page 1 of 4 Policy Statement: Ensure that roadways are maintained in such a manner as to minimize economic loss to the community, prevent or reduce accident and injury, and facilitate the handling of emergencies by the emergency responders and police services. The purpose of this policy is to set winter snow and ice control standards to provide for a safe and reliable transportation network while protecting the environment and providing excellent customer/citizen service. This policy is to be reviewed one year after implementation. Winter Maintenance Programs (within city limits) Roadway Sanding: Crews will be on duty at all times from mid October to mid April to provide sand/salt mixture to meet weather conditions. Frequency of sanding is as indicated in roadway priority hierarchy. Roadway Plowing: Plow snow from all freeways, arterial and collector roadways, bus routes and bus ways following the end of a storm to achieve bare pavement. Plow snow as required from roadways (other than freeways, arterial and collector roadways, roadways abutting schools, and bus routes) carrying in excess of 1500 vehicles per day and emergency access routes. Residential Blading: In any given snow event, a city-wide residential blading program will be initiated (including alleys) immediately after the arterial and collector road network has been plowed and considered to be in safe condition. Residential roads will be bladed to a 5 cm snow pack ADOPTED BY: City Council 27 September 2011 C409G
SUPERSEDES: C409F
DATE:
27 September 2011
This policy is subject to any specific provisions of the Municipal Government Act or other relevant legislation or Union Agreement.
CITY POLICY
Page 2 of 4 condition. Residential blading will be completed within 5 days, commencing within 48 hours following the end of the snowfall. When rutting or snow drifting occurs, residential roadways will be bladed to maintain a level, snow pack condition. Service level will only involve the blading of snow. Windrows (less than 30 cm in height) left behind blocking driveways will be the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. Windrows (more than 30 cm in height) left behind will be cleared as to not block driveways. Snow will not be hauled away except to permit safe passage. Notification of residential blading will be announced through the media. A parking ban will not be used. In the event that a 5cm snow pack cannot be maintained on residential roads within one cycle of blading, plowing to bare pavement will be initiated where required. Alleys adjacent to roadways subject to seasonal parking bans will be given priority and will be bladed at the start of the residential blading cycle.
Snow Removal: Remove snow from business districts as required. Remove snow from arterial and collector roadways and bus routes as required when the driving width or parking area restricts safe vehicular movement. Remove snow as required from roadways (other than arterial and collector roadways, and bus routes) carrying in excess of 1500 vehicles per day, when the driving width or parking area restricts safe vehicular movement. Active Transportation Modes: Plow snow from multi use trails and sidewalks adjacent to City owned land within 48 hours to meet the requirement of Community Standards Bylaw #14600. Snow will not be hauled away. Property owners are required to clear snow from sidewalks adjacent to their property (frontage and flankage) within 48 hours of the end of snowfall to meet the requirements of the Community Standards Bylaw #14600. Plow snow from designated bicycle lanes with the roadway plowing to the same service level designated for that roadway. Transit Facilities: Clear snow from all sidewalks, ramps, stairs and bus platforms at transit facilities within 24 hours after the snowfall. Clear snow from all transit zone pads within 48 hours after the snowfall. Snow Storage Site Management: Snow removed from road right-of-way and private parking lots must be hauled to snow storage sites to meet Environment Canada and Alberta Environment Guidelines and Codes of Practice outlined in the Salt Management Plan.
This policy is subject to any specific provisions of the Municipal Government Act or other relevant legislation or Union Agreement.
CITY POLICY
Page 3 of 4 Street Sanding Recycling: All street sand collected shall be washed and recycled for re-use. Salt Management Plan: Report to both Alberta Environment and Environment Canada annually on road salt usage and road salt management. Meet Codes of Practice established by Transportation Association of Canada and adopted by Environment Canada.
Severe Snowfall Event A severe snowfall response can be initiated at the discretion of the General Manager of Transportation Services. This severe snowfall response can be initiated if there is a snowfall event of 30 cm or more that threatens the mobility of the roadway network. The focus of this severe snowfall response will be to restore immediate mobility, not to address roadway capacity. This severe snowfall response includes: Deployment of all available resources to ensure mobility of the roadway network. Delegation of control of deployment of all available resources in all City Departments associated with snow clearing to the Director of Roadway Maintenance. Plowing to bare pavement on residential roads. Declaration of an overnight parking ban on all residential roads.
Snow Emergency In the event of an extreme winter storm that causes the closure of a significant portion of the roadway network, the City Manager, at his discretion can declare a snow emergency. This will initiate the activation of the Emergency Operations Centre. In this event, all control of snow clearing activities will be coordinated through the Emergency Operation Centre and will focus on providing mobility for emergency and essential services only until general mobility on the roadway network can be restored.
Roadway Priority Hierarchy Priority I Freeways, Arterial roadways, Business Districts, Bus ways. Sanding standard frequency, every 4 to 8 hours. Sanding storm frequency, every 2 to 4 hours. Plow within 36 hours after end of snowfall. Priority 2 Collector/Bus Route Roadways, Transit Park and Ride access roads. Sanding standard frequency, every 8 to 12 hours. Sanding storm frequency, every 4 to 8 hours. Plow within 48 hours after the end of snowfall.
This policy is subject to any specific provisions of the Municipal Government Act or other relevant legislation or Union Agreement.
CITY POLICY
Page 4 of 4 Priority 3 Local Industrial Roadways Sand on an as required basis. Plow within 5 days after the end of snowfall. Priority 4 Residential Roadways, Alleys Sand on an as required basis. Blade to level snowpack, start within 48 hours after snowfall and complete in 5 days. Alleys adjacent to roadways subject to seasonal parking bans will be done first.
This policy is subject to any specific provisions of the Municipal Government Act or other relevant legislation or Union Agreement.
CITY PROCEDURE
AUTHORITY: TITLE: City Manager Snow and Ice Control Page 1 of 3 1. DEFINITIONS 1.01 Arterial Roadways and Freeways Those roadways identified in the Transportation Systems Bylaw (Bylaw 15470). Alley A narrow highway providing access to the rear of buildings and parcels of land; As Required As a statement that service will not be limited to a preplanned number of work occurrences per year. It allows operating forces to apply field judgment and expertise to varying weather conditions. Bare Pavement Condition refers to a snow free condition in the driving lanes of roadways. Bare pavement shall be not more than 2 cm of snow cover on the roadway surface. Blade Snow Light blading of snow or compacted snow and ice to maintain a level snow pack and make roadways passable or to level ruts. Collector Roadways This category of roadway carries vehicles between Arterial and Residential roadways. It may be divided and have more than two travel lanes with full access to adjacent properties. Emergency Access Routes As defined by Roadways Maintenance Section, roads providing access from arterial, collector roadways or bus routes to a hospital, auxiliary hospital, nursing home, ambulance centre, police station, or fire station. Plow Snow pushing accumulated snow from the roadways surface either to the sides of the roadway or the centre of the roadway in order to maintain no less than one vehicle lane in each direction. POLICY NUMBER: C409G EFFECTIVE DATE: 3 Nov 2011
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Residential Streets as streets or designed portions thereof abutting by sites four fifths of which are occupied by residential buildings only and none of which are occupied by industrial buildings.
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Residential Plowing to Bare Pavement plowing to a condition of not more then 2 cm of snow cover on the roadway surface. Shall include: Not more than 2 cm of snow cover on the roadway surface All driveways, crosswalks and corners will be opened
This policy is subject to any specific provisions of the Municipal Government Act or other relevant legislation or Union Agreement.
CITY PROCEDURE
AUTHORITY: TITLE: City Manager Snow and Ice Control Page 2 of 3 1.11 1.12 Access will be opened at all location identified on trouble spot lists which includes locations identified by DATS as high volume pick up/drop off, seniors centres and schools fronting residential schools Where windrows of snow are created they will not be hauled away. In cul de sacs snow will be stacked in the centre and hauled away as required. POLICY NUMBER: C409G EFFECTIVE DATE: 3 Nov 2011
Road Salt all de-icing agents that promote the melting of snow and/or ice. Rutting troughs in compacted snow and ice which make the maneuvering of a vehicle dangerous. Sanding The application of abrasive materials and road salt to roadways by calibrated mechanical spreaders. To improve vehicle traction and promote safe traffic flow. Seasonal Parking Ban A ban on all parking on designated residential bus routes during the winter season. Snow Drifting as the deposit of wind blown snow on roadways or lanes which makes the passage of vehicle traffic impossible. Snow Removal the complete removal of windrowed snow from established routes to a snow storage site.
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PROCEDURES 2.01 The General Manager of Transportation Services to: (a) Authorize the instructions or specifications necessary to properly implement the Policy of City Council and to approve any changes in those instructions upon direction of City Council. Exercise control of the staff of Transportation Services directing such assistance as may be required to the Roadway Maintenance Section during a severe snow event or snow related emergencies. Will act as liaison with City Council. Detailed instructions necessary to properly implement this policy are contained in the Snow and Ice Control Manual and Salt Management Plan as approved by the General Manager of Transportation Services for the direction of all employees and equipment concerned.
(b)
(c)
This policy is subject to any specific provisions of the Municipal Government Act or other relevant legislation or Union Agreement.
CITY PROCEDURE
AUTHORITY: TITLE: City Manager Snow and Ice Control Page 3 of 3 2.02 The Director of Roadway Maintenance to: (a) Declare the Seasonal Parking Ban to be in effect when snowfall accumulations require a general plowing of the arterial and collector roads or if a heavy snowfall warning is issued by Environment Canada for the City of Edmonton. Lift Seasonal Parking Ban when plowing is completed, if the pavement width on roadways subject to the Seasonal Parking Ban is reduced by windrowed snow to 9 metres or less, the ban will remain in effect until snow removal from these roadways is completed. Exercise control over the deployment of all available resources in all city departments associated with snow clearing during a severe snowfall event. Engage all necessary resource from Corporate Communication to initiate a communications plan to inform residents of progress of severe snowfall response through media releases, advertising and the city web site. This will include a schedule of residential plowing to be updated daily, released to the media daily and updated on the city web site. POLICY NUMBER: C409G EFFECTIVE DATE: 3 Nov 2011
(a) (b)
This policy is subject to any specific provisions of the Municipal Government Act or other relevant legislation or Union Agreement.
