The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is getting ready for winter, and they’ve adopted their first formal snow and ice control policy for rural communities, as they set service standards and response timelines before the snow comes.
This new policy was developed through feedback from rural residents and community partners after last year’s winter season.
Under normal conditions, school routes and residential roads will have top priority. Plowing begins after more than five centimetres of snow, with service expected to start within 24 hours.
High-use industrial roads will be plowed after seven centimetres of snow within a 48 hour response time.
Recreational roads and routes that have limited traffic will be dealt with after more than nine centimetres of snow, with service expected to start after 72 hours.
Crews will remove large snowbanks that block sightlines, additional snow removal resources will be planned in advance if heavy snowfall comes this winter.
The new policy also has new rules for driveway windrows. Snowbanks that are left 15 centimetres high or higher will be removed from residential driveway entrances within 12 hours. Residents will be responsible for clearing their windrows that are less than 15 centimetres high within a 48 hour period after a plow passes. Residents and organizations are also responsible for clearing sidewalks next to their properties within 48 hours of a snowfall.
Municipal sidewalks and trails around schools, amenities and RMWB buildings are to be cleared within 48 hours. Other municipal sidewalks and trails along residentials streets are to be cleared within four days.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo are reminded residents to not push snow from driveways or walkways onto roads, ditches, fire hydrants or neighbouring properties.
