City revs up for residential plow

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This article was published 17/12/2024 (528 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Amanda Sinclair doesn’t want her truck to get stuck again.

“The snow, it’s a bit crazy. I guess other people’s skill in driving is not the greatest,” she joked outside her home Tuesday as she said she’s ready for residential streets to be plowed.

“With the roads being slushy and not clear, it’s hard to have to drive.”

The City of Winnipeg announced it will conduct a residential street plowing operation and a parking ban is set to take effect from Wednesday until Saturday. Vehicles will have to be parked elsewhere from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., depending on the neighbourhood chosen for plowing. Failure to comply comes with a $200 ticket and a tow.

Drivers will be able to park overnight on streets designated winter routes during the residential parking ban.

Residents can confirm their plowing zone by calling 311. Seasonal parking ban notifications are sent via the Know Your Zone app and email by signing up online.

Sinclair lives on a West End street marked for clearing throughout the day Thursday. She parks her truck on that street, and while it’ll be a “pain” to move, she said it’s happening just in time.

“I think it’s just about the right time. We’ve got the right amount of snow right now,” she said. “Anything too early, and it’s just taxpayer dollars going to waste.”

Janice Lukes, chair of the city’s public works committee, said a residential plow usually costs $2.5 million and involves 300 pieces of equipment.

A city spokesperson said 311 has received 123 calls to request snow removal on residential streets so far this season.

The city has proposed a pilot project next season under which the amount of snowfall that triggers a residential plow increases to 15 centimetres from 10 cm

Lukes said she’s been fielding calls from concerned residents since the preliminary 2025 budget was released last week.

She said she’s heard from snow removal workers that the difference between a threshold of 10 cm and 15 cm is nominal.

“I’m not crazy about it, because a lot of people use the streets to walk on, I’m a big active transportation and mobility person.

“Honestly, if (the pilot project) might save one residential plow, it might save $2.5 million,” she said. “We could probably find that somewhere else.”

Her Waverley West ward has had around 20 centimetres of snow so far this season, she said, while other areas have hit 10 cm.

She said crews are starting now, in part, because more snow is in the forecast, the shift to a warmer temperature has created slushy conditions that are difficult to drive through, and the city may want to avoid setting up a residential parking ban during the holidays.

“Every residential plow is different, it depends on what (kind of snow) is on the ground, what the weather is like, what the forecast is,” she said.

SAFE Roads Manitoba has launched a winter campaign that reminds drivers and pedestrians to keep a safe distance from snow-clearing equipment and crews, be patient when driving near snow-clearing work, and to consider taking an alternative route while snow clearing is underway.

“By giving snow-clearing crews the space they need to work, we’re not just ensuring safer roads, we’re protecting the people who make winter travel possible,” said committee chair Chris Lorenc, president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca