Worry not Vancouverites, we’ve got this.
That was the message trotted out Tuesday morning by city staff just as the snowfall was starting to escalate, and expected weather patterns quickly changed.
Engineering manager Jerry Dobrovolny outlined lessons learned from last winter — described as a “once-in-30-year-event” — and how the city is better positioned for what Mother Nature may hit us with this year.
More than $4 million was spent over the last year to get ahead of expected snowfall for the current winter season.
Those funds went, in part, towards the following:
- more snowplough drivers
- additional training for truck drivers
- the amount of brine has been increased from 11,000 to 30,000 gallons
- the city’s cache of salt has been upped from 2,700 to 8,000 tonnes
- about 10 more trucks to access narrow laneways
- additional small plows to clear sidewalks, and more snowblowers
“We are ready for the snow,” Dobrovolny said. “We’ve been preparing for months. We have all of our crews available and they will be deployed around the clock for as long as is necessary and in whatever numbers are necessary to keep the city functioning.”
Dobrovolny said that while clearing residential streets is not a priority for city crews — and traditionally hasn’t been in years past either — last winter’s snowfall and extended freeze changed that stance. Should the need arise, side streets on hills and narrow laneways will be cleared to facilitate garbage, recycling and green waste pickup.
The city’s snow removal priorities are as follows: major arterials, emergency and truck routes and major bike and pedestrian paths are to be cleared in under 12 hours.
The second priority area — to be cleared in under 48 hours — is school routes, collector streets, transit routes and lesser travelled pedestrian and bike paths. The remainder of the city is deemed a third priority by the city and can take up to a week to be cleared.
Dobrovolny also stressed the importance of resident responsibility. Outside of sidewalks needing to be cleared by 10 a.m., Dobrovolny noted the need for winter tires. If you don’t have them and you cause and accident, the Vancouver Police Department will issue fines, he said.
“It is so frustrating to have one of our major roadways blocked because one car doesn’t have winter tires, has spun out and is blocking traffic,” Dobrovolny said. “We saw that over and over again last year. I didn’t see one car with proper winter tires experiencing difficulty last year.”
The volunteer-driven Snow Angels program was also highlighted as a way to connect seniors and those with mobility challenges to other people in their neighbourhood who can help shovel their sidewalks. Last winter saw 300 volunteers sign up for the program. Residents can access that service online at vancouver.ca/snowangel.
Other concerns around freezing, maintenance issues or other factors related to the weather can be reported via the VanConnect App or by calling 311.
