Each Sunday we will feature a project going on within the city, happenings within a department or someone who works hard to provide services to the community. Today we're taking some time to review the city's snow removal policies and procedures.
While we've had a pretty mild December -- so far -- we all know living in Northwest Indiana means one thing in the winter: we're bound to get some snow at some point.
When we do, the city's street department is prepared to hit the roadways to keep them as clear in the safest, most efficient manner possible.
Residents are reminded of the city ordinance which requires them to not park their vehicles in the street if snowfall accumulates to 2 inches or more.
Street Superintendent Randy Reeder said it is important for residents to follow the ordinance to allow snowplow drivers to clear snow from curb to curb.
There are exceptions. There are also consequences. Here's the ordinance language:
Sec. 78-296. - Parking during snow removal.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to park any vehicle on the paved or traveled portion of any street within the city for a period of time longer than five minutes for loading and unloading persons or passengers or 30 minutes for loading or unloading property at any time after the snow begins to fall and the snow on the streets exceeds two inches in depth.
(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be fined the sum of $25.00 for the first offense, and $100.00 for each subsequent offense. In addition, the police department shall remove and impound any vehicle parked on the street in violation of this section. The owner of a vehicle so removed and impounded shall, in addition to any fine imposed under this subsection, be financially responsible for the expenses incurred in the removal and storage of his vehicle.
The department's preparation for removing snow from the more than 150 miles of city streets begins before the first snowflake falls. Reeder said when a winter-weather event is predicted, the department monitors several weather-related websites.
Depending on the situation, the first step is salting bridges, to help prevent icing and slide-offs.
Once the snow begins to fly, drivers focus on the city's main streets until the snowfall is over. How long they have to concentrate on main streets depends on the significance of the snowfall. If it snows continuously for 12 hours, drivers will spend 12 hours keeping main streets cleared. These are the most traveled roadways by the public and first responders.
Snow zones are created so that residents don't have to travel more than a quarter-mile out of their subdivision to reach the main road.
Once the snow stops and the main roads are cleared, drivers -- who work 12-hour shifts until the city is entirely cleared -- will begin clearing secondary arteries. These include main roads within subdivisions.
They continue to work within subdivisions, usually making passes down the center of streets to open them up for residents and return later to clear snow from curb to curb.
The final streets to be addressed are cul-de-sacs and streets with no access. There are more than 300 streets within the city that fall into this category. These are the most time-consuming streets to clear as there are limitations as to where snow can be pushed, highlighting the importance of removing vehicles from the roads.
Snowplows are designed to push snow to the side, which creates an unavoidable situation of plowing snow in front of driveways and mailboxes.
Residents are also asked not to push or throw snow back into the streets when they are clearing their driveways and sidewalks. This causes road hazards and unsafe driving conditions.
Reeder said it sometimes takes three or four trips down a street to clear the roadway, depending on the amount of snow. The department usually can clear all roads within 24 hours of a typical snow event. However, there can be delays if there are unforeseen equipment failures or if weather conditions, such as lake effect snow, high winds and frigid temperatures, accompany the snow.
