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Snow Removal

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1. What are the major factors affecting snow removal?

• Storm intensity
• Storm duration
• Snow accumulation
• Time of day
• Temperature
• Traffic conditions

Please note: The most dangerous street conditions may occur when the day has been warm enough to melt snow and ice and then the temperature drops in the afternoon refreezing the melted snow and ice.

2. Do you plow cul-de-sacs?

Cul-de-sac areas are particularly hard to service. Snowplows are too big to operate effectively on these streets. When snow depths and weather conditions dictate, the Town will plow these areas with smaller trucks.

3. How about residential streets?

Residential streets are usually not plowed or treated except after very severe winter storms. When snowstorms leave large accumulations that are expected to remain for several days, plows go onto residential streets after completing service on Priority 1 and Priority 2 streets.

Our goal in plowing residential streets is to keep as much snow as possible off the road. We do not plow down to the pavement. The quickest way to plow snow is to push it to the side. This may mean that you will have to clear your driveway.

4. When will you get to the secondary routes?

During a heavy storm you may not see plows on secondary routes because they are working to keep primary routes open.

5. Why did you bury my sidewalk and/or driveway?

Sidewalks and driveways may become blocked due to snowplow activities. Although a concerted effort is made to plow in a manner that does not block driveways, it is not always successful. Residential streets are plowed down the center of the street in an effort to avoid covering sidewalks, parked cars, and blocking driveways, The Town regrets the inconvenience to residents that snowplowing operations may cause.

6. What equipment does the Town have?

The Town uses four large plow trucks and one large swap-loader for standard snow removal. Light weight 4X4 trucks are used during heavy snow fall to assist in accessing residential streets and three pieces of heavy equipment are in the fleet and can be used for cutting ice in trouble areas & clearing specific intersections. The Town also contracts with local snow removal vendors for assistance during large storms.

7. How are the plowing crews called out?

A callout for snowplowing is done by the Operation and Maintenance Supervisor who is notified via the Boulder County Communications Center. Crews report within 30 minutes & plow trucks start their routs immediately. There are over 242 single lane miles of streets in Erie. The crews rotate in shifts until snowplowing is complete. It can take crews up to two hours to initially cover their assigned route.

8. HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Please keep in mind, crews put forth the utmost effort during snowstorms. Extended storms may present various challenges for our crews, for example, equipment breakdowns and abrupt changes in the weather.

To help our crews perform in a safe and efficient manner:
• Exercise extreme care, your safety and the safety of other motorists and pedestrians is the highest priority
• Travel at a safe distance from snowplows at all times
• Do not try to pass snow removal vehicles
• Park off-street if possible
• Do not shovel snow from your sidewalk and drive-way into the street
• Do not attempt to stop a snow removal vehicle or obstruct its path

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND CONSIDERATION!