Grader waits at 18th Ave yard  for call to duty -photo 250News

Prince George, B.C.-With Environment Canada predicting  more snow in the forecast for today  and  the weekend,  the City of Prince George is  prepared for  winter’s arrival.

The snow removal  reserve  fund still has a healthy balance,  with $4.3 million  available to  pay  the costs of  cleaning up  whatever Mother Nature decides to send our  way between now and the end of December.  Council  you will recall had bumped up the snow removal levy  by $700 thousand  for 2016  so   the total  collected would hit the $7 million mark.

With the average  clean up cost  per major winter storm  pegged in the half a million  dollar range,   the snow  reserve should have enough to carry the City through  to the end of 2016.

The  City  has  the following equipment to  handle  snow events:

• 4 MT Sidewalk Plow Machines
• 8 Tandem Truck Plow/Sander
• 4 Loaders  for Alley clearing, driveway opening, load out of windrows
• 5 City owned grader
• 2 Leased grader
• 4 Contracted grader (on retainer)
• 1 Loader with blower attachment
• 2 Rubber tire backhoe for ditch clearing in times of melt

City snow and ice control fleet can be  expanded  by contracted equipment as needed.

The snow and ice control policy adopted by the City of Prince George  calls for  roads and sidewalks to be passable within 5 days of  a single snow  event,  however, back to back  events  could extend that  time frame.

Just a reminder that as of October 15th, and lasting through to April 15th,   the Annual Snow Routes Bylaw comes into effect to allow  City crews to effectively plow the roads.

Under that bylaw ,  there  is to be no parking  from 10 pm to 7 am  on a  number of  streets in the City  including those  considered  “priority one” ,  hills and  the hospital  district.   In the downtown  area, there is  to be  no   on street parking from midnight to  7 a.m.

The bylaw also restricts  parking in  residential areas   with no  on street parking  from 8:00 am to  6 pm during the day,  and  parking on the odd side of  the road  only from 6pm to 8 a.m.

Those  who violate the  rules,  could be subject to a $50 fine  per offence, and may  have their vehicle towed.