The City of Parksville has detailed its annual plan to deal with road and weather conditions during the winter months.
A release issued by communications manager Deb Tardiff indicated that when snow and icy conditions are forecast, crews and equipment are prepared and when it snows, crews are dispatched to clear roads on a priority basis.
The city works to ensure municipal streets and sidewalks are maintained in a reasonably safe condition while balancing budgetary limitations and available personnel and equipment.
Priority during and after a snowfall is to clear major arterial streets (such as Island Highway, Alberni Highway) as well as access to emergency services. Clearing collector streets (such as Temple, Pym, Hirst) is the second priority. Once conditions have stabilized on these priority routes, crews will begin to clear residential streets. With continued snowfall, it will take crews longer to reach residential streets.
Priority routes for snowplowing are arterial roads and highways, followed by collector roads and then local roads. Residents can view a colour-coded map of priority routes by accessing the map on the city’s website. When conditions are present, city vehicles with snow-removal capacity will focus on clearing the main artery of Highway 19A as well as the clearing of other Priority A routes, which are outlined in red on the map (pictured above).
The city performs other snow clearing duties such as the Parksville Fire Department access and lot, Parksville Community Centre access and lot, Parksville Civic and Technology Centre access and lot and other city parking lots as required.
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Snow clearing from sidewalks is the responsibility of the adjacent property owners who are required to ensure snow removed from the sidewalks, boulevards or private property is not deposited on the adjoining roadway, city property or highways. There is a $50 fine for non-compliance.
During periods of heavy snowfall, in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic, adjacent to city-owned property, city crews will support public sidewalk clearing through use of snow blowers and other snow removal equipment only as availability of equipment and personnel allow.
Wherever possible, drivers are asked not to park vehicles on the streets during periods of snowfall as this impedes the travel of plows and may result in a vehicle buried by snow.
The relesae noted that during the plowing of streets, a windrow of snow may be formed across driveways.
“As the city does not have the equipment or personnel for a private driveway/access clearing program, it is the owner’s responsibility to open access to the adjoining roadway,” the release stated. “Clearing of private roads and parking lots is the responsibility of the property owners who are required to ensure that snow removed from their property is not deposited on the adjoining public sidewalks or roadway.”
– NEWS Staff, submitted