Icy reaction to city’s snow-clearing pilot project Reduced plowing on residential streets part of 2025 budget By: Joyanne Pursaga Posted: 5:12 PM CST Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024

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This article was published 12/12/2024 (596 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Some Winnipeggers fear a pilot project that would increase the amount of snow required to trigger residential street clearing will make roads impassable and force people to stay home more often.

The City of Winnipeg’s preliminary budget proposes raising that threshold to 15 cm of snow from 10 cm, which would start next fall and last throughout next winter. The city believes that could prevent the need for one citywide residential snow-clearing operation per year, which typically costs from $2.75 million to $5 million.

However, some residents believe any savings would come with serious side-effects.

“(The 15 cm mark is) a lot of snow, so I am concerned. Even at the current standard, there’s a lot of sidewalks and roads that are not passable. For myself, I use a cane and I use a manual (wheelchair). (After this change, I would be) housebound. I can’t clear everything to get down the street,” said David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba.

“It’s not just the disability community, it’s seniors, it’s families with strollers, it’s everybody. It’s a pretty big change. That 10 cm is established for a reason.”

Kron fears the change could put work, shopping and other activities out of reach on some winter days, while allowing more ice ruts to build up over the winter season.

“(Clearing is) an essential service… I don’t want budget restraints to affect mobility and accessibility rights in Winnipeg,” he said.

Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities, said she fears the change would have a negative effect on the economy.

“It doesn’t make any sense as a cost-saving measure. If you’re preventing people from getting to work to make money (and) to spend money in the city, that also has an impact,” said Graham. “Snow clearing is… an important public service.”

An active transportation advocate said the shift could impede travel on roads that connect Winnipeggers to cycling and walking paths, as well as Winnipeg Transit routes.

“That’s a concern that, if we’re kind of (reducing snow removal), that catchment area disappears and that you’re going to see subsequent drops for … transit, but also for walking and biking in general,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg.

Mayor Scott Gillingham stressed the change is limited to a pilot project and the city’s permanent snow-clearing policy remains intact.

“We have not cut a service. We have not changed a policy. We are looking to run a pilot project.”–Mayor Scott Gillingham

“What we want to do is run a pilot project to test some innovation, to test, also, if 5 cm of snow would make a noticeable difference in service level. I ask folks to please be patient… It’s too soon to judge until a (pilot) project has been run,” said Gillingham.

The mayor said the test does not amount to a service cut.

“We have not cut a service. We have not changed a policy. We are looking to run a pilot project,” he said.

Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, echoed the mayor’s comments.

“We’ll try it out. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work,” said Lukes (Waverley West).

The city received 5,056 service requests related to snow and ice control last winter, including 288 about snow removal on residential streets, a city official confirmed Thursday.

An Island Lakes resident said he is glad the change will be tested before any permanent policy change takes place and is optimistic it could save money without much immediate impact.

“The good news is it’s a trial period… As long as the main roads are cleared sufficiently to move the traffic, the residential streets are less of a concern, at least until spring,” said Lindsey Wilson.

Wilson said he does fear allowing more snow to accumulate before it’s removed could lead to large ice ruts.

The head of the city’s largest union said he’d prefer the municipal government seek savings by allowing public crews to take on a portion of the snow-clearing work.

“We’d look to see some of this work come back in house, being done by non-profit city staff. We’d be always willing, open to doing a pilot project or some shared services that way so that we can (ensure) we’re not beholden to the (private) profit-driven sector,” said Gord Delbridge, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500.

City council will cast a final vote on the budget, which includes the proposed pilot project, on Jan. 29.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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