Winnipeg, MB - Today, the Winnipeg Public Service published an administrative report providing an update on the City of Winnipeg Snow Clearing and Ice Control Policy.
The report is in response to direction by the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works for the Public Service to explore options relating to back lane windrow removal.
Due to a large amount of snow and drifting snow, the amount of back lane clearing during the 2013-2014 winter was approximately 79 per cent more than is undertaken in a typical year. Snow storage became an issue in back lanes and consequently, a lot of snow was pushed into lanes where it was compacted. This snow, combined with new accumulations, meant that subsequent plowing operations created unusually high and dense windrows.
“The Council-approved Snow and Ice Control Policy provides one of the top snow and ice control programs in the country, providing services not offered in other cities such as clearing of front drive windrows and plowing of sidewalks,” said Brad Sacher, Director of Public Works. “In 2008, Winnipeg was recognized by the American Public Works Association with the Excellence in Snow and Ice Control Award.”
Sacher noted the current policy dictates that the following services be provided for back lanes:
- alleys (back lanes) shall normally be maintained to a compacted snow surface as opposed to bare pavement.
- plowing of alleys shall commence after an inspection warrants clearing operations, usually following a 5 centimetre snowfall accumulation or equivalent local drifting conditions.
- snow plowing of alleys shall normally be undertaken using rubber tired front end loaders.
The current practice for back lane clearing is to conduct a single pass with a large front end loader. This method reduces the probability of damage to private property during a clearing operation in back lanes which are generally lined with garages and fences thereby limiting the room for equipment to maneuver. Residents are responsible for clearing the windrows left by the clearing operations.
While a number of options for back lane windrow removal were contemplated, a viable method does not currently appear to exist. Therefore, the Public Service is not recommending that the City revise the Policy on Snow Clearing and Ice Control regarding back lane clearing. However, as a member of the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) and the American Public Works Association (APWA), the Public Service will continue to seek and participate in the research of innovative methods for removing windrows as new technologies and best practices develop in the future.
The report, which will be considered at the November 25, 2014 meeting of the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works, can be viewed by visiting the Committee agendas page on winnipeg.ca.