Big Clean Up Continues
Prince George, B.C. – City of Prince George snow removal crews are still clearing snow following the heavy snow fall that found much of Prince George under about a foot of fresh snow Saturday morning.
Plowing and sanding trucks are working on priority one and priority two routes in all areas of the city.
Priority one routes are the main arterial roads, the downtown, priority hills, and the hospital district. Priority two routes are all the bus routes that are not arterial roads, and all commercial /industrial roads. Both Priority one and two routes are to be cleared within 48 hours of a snow event.
Graders and loaders will be operating in the green zone as per the garbage collection map https://goo.gl/vx1Klg to endure the green zone is clear for schedule garbage pick up tomorrow.
Sidewalk machines will continue to clear walks throughout the bowl area.
Crews are working 24 hours a day and operations will continue over night in the bowl, the Carter Light Industrial Area, and the east end of the city.
Motorists are asked to use caution around snow and ice control equipment.
Last night, crews worked to clear the downtown area, which is a priority one zone, as well as routes in the Hart neighbourhood and the green zone.
To make a request for service or speak to a City representative, please contact the Service Centre at 250.561.7600 or email servicecentre@princegeorge.ca.
Comments
At the rate they are making progress on the Priority 1 & 2 roads, I doubt we will see a plow until the end of January on our street??
Lower College Heights Lancaster, Lemoyne Leyden. They did make it close this winter, a week back they made it as close as Kingsley.
I know, it is the schedule that the snow fell, but I still think we need the ‘Mericans to tell Mick Jones how to do it? Ha Ha!
agree!!!! BUT there are enough Canadians who know how to do it as well!! They just do not work for the City in PG.
Give someone a sideways promotion and hire someone in charge who knows how it is done.
Or … hire someone who knows how to do it, put him/her in charge, and have our manager job shadow that individual.
It will take changing a few standards to make it an efficient and effective process.
The second alternative is intended to be for a year, which includes preparation and standards changes as well the winter season.
We are lower college heights too and our street hasn’t been cleared at all this winter!
Domano and Gladstone yes, but not our side streets.
Ridiculous!
Really? We are an obscure little neighbourhood up in the Hart and they did our streets last night, and we aren’t even on a bus route, but they didn’t clean the ends of the driveways. Guess I will have to give city hall a call and complain.
We have seen better than usual snow clearing this year, when we had snow, maybe someone on council moved up here.
Want some wine with your cheese above? Poor whiney babies. Just wait until it snows again tonight.. It will be weeks before College Heights gets touched after tonights dump of snow.
Have you any idea who Bent is? Is this person in a wheelchair? Handicapped? A senior with health issues? Give it a rest.
Why should anyone who knows what is done in real winter cities quit.
We have substandard snow clearing practices. Practices which are likely very expensive on a km-lane basis due to the methods they use and they do not approach anywhere near to the quality standards in cities that know how to do it.
Clearly the use of sarcasm escapes you? Try to have a bit of a sense of humor redneck.
This is way better snow clearing than the Scary Sherri days. Back then I remember the intersection at Westwood and Massey (Tim Hortons- Pine Center) full of ice potholes, Damano Blvd was so bad someone with a pickup truck had their canopy bounce right off.
This mayor and council, and city staff, are doing an incredible job given the circumstances.
The canopy bounced off because the idiot didn’t have it secured properly.
BH, you got that right, way better than those days. They’ve got a few klicks to clear and I’m sure they’d get to the out of way places, if it would just quit snowing. Hope the neighbors are helping each other out, especially them that have issues.
“if it would just quit snowing”
That is winter.
Snow plowing ALL City streets should not take more than 24 hours with the right equipment and right policies in place regarding on street parking and driveway entrance clearing, which includes clearing for those properties identified to the City and clearing provided for those who can display hardship.
Snow plowing is continuous when the triggering depth has fallen and continues during the “storm” until the end of the fall and the snow is all cleared within the period specified.
Snow is a normal circumstance. It can be planned for and it should be planned for. There are enough cities in Canada as well as the USA who understand what that means and can deliver.
This City has no excuses. There are too many examples of best practices which are actually standard practices since there are enough cities applying those same practices.
There is absolutely no reason this City cannot do the same. All it takes is a different mindset of Council, staff, and even some citizens in this community who have not experienced good winter street maintenance.
I have found the snow removal this year to be much better than the past. The city is doing a great job. However, I find it a little hard to swallow that we had a foot of snow as stated in the article. Good story tho.
good 8 inches at my house.
8″ is not a foot.
In Heritage we had a total of 6″ over 2 days. Our time shift stations are from Boston. In parts of the Greater Boston region they had 20+” in 6 hours a few days ago. It made the news as it was coming, expected snowfall differences from north to south and ocean beaches to interior parts to the west, then actual reporters in the various areas showing the 10 foot high storage on road sides as the machinery was clearing the snow from the streets.
It most certainly does not take a week to get through ALL the streets. Neither does it in Montreal, Ottawa and other communities which require traffic to be moving within 24 hours of the finish of a snow storm.
The stuff we had was light snow, easy to shovel even without a snowblower.
We had a bit of wind and some blowing snow, so at the location of drifting snow, sure, it could have been measured as 12″.
This city still does no have the right equipment to clear the snow. Go east and have a look at the snow clearing equipment inventory and learn!!
City of Ottawa Snow Clearing:
As accumulation begins, City crews will deploy crews to clear Hwy 174, Transitway, most arterials and most major collector roads. These roads should be clear within 2-4 hours of the end of accumulation.
After 5 cm of accumulation, City crews will begin clearing most minor collector roads. These roads should be clear within 6 hours of the end of accumulation.
After 7 cm of accumulation, City crews will begin clearing most residential roads. These roads should be clear within 10 hours of the end of accumulation.
City crews will plow residential roads to a snow-packed surface. When necessary, materials will be applied to keep roads safe.
Bus stops are cleared within 24 hours of the end of accumulation.
Winter overnight parking restrictions take effect if a snow fall of 7cm (5 – 10 cm) is forecast.
source = ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/road-and-sidewalk-maintenance/winter-maintenance
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I have experienced this myself when I grew up there and every time I have returned in the winter.
One of the keys is the use of trucks with snow plows attacehd to the front of the vehicle for residential streets; tandem trucks operating on four lane arterials and collectors driving even during the day in traffic at the same speed as traffic.
The other keys are they require all parked vehicles to be off the streets, especially residential streets and they do not clear driveway entrances. The provide that service to those who are elderly or handicapped who cannot shovel.
I know what best practices are east of the Manitoba-Ontario Border. I know what can be achieved.
Snow clearing in BC and especially PG is a joke.
Nothing a Subaru cannot solve…… ;-)
btw, they will start plowing when those triggering accumulations have fallen. They do not wait until the end of a storm. What that means is that they will plow continuously during a storm and complete to the standards within the time limits specified after the end of accumulation.
Well Ottawa is not your normal city.
Speaking of winter cities, does Edmonton clear side streets, well not a priority and lucky if they get done at all.
Seamutt —- Ottawa is a normal City. The National Capital Commission has nothing to do with clearing the residential collector and arterial roads. The cost is borne by the citizens of the city, just like here.
The National Capital Commission maintains the parkways which are mainly along the Ottawa River and the road along the canal and out to the airport.
Edmonton is the city Green used as a comparison. Edmonton is a prairie city which gets half as much snow as PG. Interestingly PG and Ottawa are good comparisons since they get about the same amount of snow annually, except that Ottawa gets some major dumps, which are rare in PG.
What we got in the past tow days would make an easterner laugh. Sort of like us when we laugh at Vancouver when they get snow.
“Motorists are asked to use caution around snow and ice control equipment”
This means making eye contact with the operators. I’ve seen a couple drivers who feel “me first” is more important. Wish they’d just slow down and wait, only takes a half minute to be safe.
This mayor and his team are surely a vast improvement compared to what we had before! Thanks and keep it up!
Our snow removal these days is good can’t really complain. comparing us to the way Ottawa does it is BS. Should we compare their granite curbs to our concrete ones downtown. Uhmmm no. I spend more than enough time each year east of Manitoba and Im sorry but your wrong how they do it is not the way we should do it. Its a big country and just because its cold there and here doesnt mean its the same climate. BC is a different monster in many ways that damn easterners will never understand. :-) Ontario, the most ass backwards province in Canada. I guess they couldnt fit that on the licence plate.
Quite a baggage of hatred you carry there. Obviously blocks any sort of objective thinking on your part.
Don’t use Ottawa or Ontario if you feel that way. Use Quebec, use New Brunswick, use Nova Scotia, use PEI, use Newfoundland.
I realize you hate Ontario. So I will prod you once more with an Ontario City; Barrie.
Barrie is in an Ontario snowbelt and receives about 223 cm of snow a year on average over the last 30 or so year. That compares to 142 cm for PG. So, about 60% more. That means that it should be much more difficult to clear snow in a timely manner.
Here is the web site from Barrie which explains their policy on snow removal.
barrie.ca/living/city%20services/roadsandsidewalks/Pages/SnowRemoval.aspx
—————————————— quoted from the site
The City has developed carefully planned levels of winter road service to combat the diverse weather conditions we see every winter. A combination of City-owned trucks and contracted units provide effective snow plowing services to Barrie roads through our Priority and Secondary route system
This system assigns priority to all major roads with the highest traffic in the city. To ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians, these major routes are serviced on a 24/7 basis when necessary. Secondary routes (all residential streets in the city) are attended to regularly, but less often than Priority routes.
With a system of service based around snow levels and maintenance times, we can ensure clean and safe roads are maintained efficiently.
Eight contract road plows maintain Priority routes 24/7; City-owned units are responsible for Secondary routes.
Priority Road Routes
• 5cm: approximate level of fallen snow for road crews to be deployed
• Cleanup to be completed approximately 6 hours after end of snowfall
Maintain road surfaces by keeping them as bare as possible through continual use of all assigned staff, equipment and materials required for the conditions
Secondary Road Routes (all residential streets)
• 8cm: approximate level of fallen snow for road crews to be deployed
• Cleanup completion dependent upon when snowfall concludes, ranges from 12–24 hours after end of snowfall.
Maintain road surfaces in a snow packed condition during a storm by use of all assigned workers, equipment and materials (i.e. sand/salt mixture etc…)
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So, in effect, all streets are cleared of snow 24 hours after the last flurry settles on the ground.
It is not rocket science. PG is just not up to the challenge. Quite simple to figure that out.
moncton.ca/Residents/Snow_Removal/Street_snow_clearing.htm
That is Moncton.
Here is what it says on its introductory page to the topic of snow clearing:
Moncton is listed as the “sixth snowiest city” in Canada with an average annual snowfall of 349 cm according to Environment Canada. Moncton also tops the list of “most huge snowfall days” of 25 cm or more and ranks ninth in the “most freezing rain days” category.
Again, their objectives is to clear ALL streets, including residential, within 24 hours after the last flurry falls.
Yup, those easterners are really stupid. They should just let it lie and save many $$$$ for the taxpayers and cost drivers and insurance companies lots as a result.
Telkwa has not had much snow compared with Prince George this year.
Neither has PG compared to previous years. The Adirondack chairs in our back yard are normally covered with snow to unrecognizable “blobs” by early January. The snow is only up to seat height. That’s about 14″.
Calgary does not plough residential areas. The snow just builds up and they drive over it. They usually get less snow and then sometimes a chinook.
Temperatures by next weekend are supposed to go up to about +5C and not below freezing at night for a few days.
So the weather page on this site is bogus ?
Yup those easterners, if we would just listen we would have thier perfection.
Moncton is now the comparison?
Totally different climate. Yes they get snow and large dumps often mixed with rain and temps of 0–4.
How are we doing it wrong. Not how does our service standard not line up with the East.
A difference that we don’t do here is use piles of salt. Often our temps don’t alow it and that is better for our cars and the environment(we tend to be a greener bunch). Another is melting days clearly on average Moncton has more of these despite the high snow fall. The two combined salt and melting days reduces the required removal of fallen snow and snow already plowed.
Instead of saying we do it better, how do you do it better that is actually applicable to Prince George.
Throwing more money at it is easy but what do you cut. If you don’t throw more money at it you have to do it beter. All Im hearing is a biased the east does it better. No useful answers to what they do that can help us do it beter.
Happy Monday
I know you could do better if you read a bit more thoroughly with an unbiased mindset.
I posted my answer to the how question on Sunday, January 8, 2017 @ 7:04 PM by gopg2015
One of the problems here is that too many houses have more than 3 or 4 cars and thus many park on the streets. There is no requirement to remove them at night when snow clearance takes place.
1. no driveways done unless the owners can show that they are handicapped, elderly, etc. and cannot do them, then the City provides the clearing to those designated.
2. all parked cars off the streets overnight
3. 4 lane arterials are done with standard highway type trucks with blades on the front and side, working in tandem driving at posted speeds (50 km/hr) so that it can be done during the day as well, not just at night
4. windrows are picked up the same night they occur by snowblowers and enough trucks lined up behind them to pickup and dump
5. Reduce the backward movement of equipment to almost nothing. The key is a continuous forward movement with minimal turning at street ends. In our area they will actually turn around at the corner to do the other side instead of driving forward continuously until they have done the neighbourhood. Watch how the garbage trucks move through the neighbourhood to get an idea of how it works. They do not back up or do u-turns.
Rick Mercer in Barrie. have a laugh, but that is the equipment used on residential streets back east …..
Remember we think like those in Vancouver and the prairies where there is either very little snow or no snow.
Shows the type of equipment used on residential streets after a one foot fall
youtube.com/watch?v=JGT79DmPlrI
The idea to clear the driveways came from Mackenzie where someone on their snow clearing crew developed a special gate. It really works but it takes some training to use it and the grader has to keep moving. There is an add tax to our snow clearing budget to do our driveways. I wonder if the people who say we don’t need to do the driveways ever had to clear the packed snow that would be in the driveway. I had to do it and I can tell you that some times it was just easier to use your hands and throw the snow blocks.
As for parking on the street; we are told every year no parking during the day on residential streets and yet people still park on the streets. They feel that it is their right to park on the street! As someone said on another site, they are streets not parking lots!
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