Each year, City Council reviews the Public Works department’s Snow and Ice Control Policy, which outlines snow clearing procedures, priorities, resources and budget for the 2022/2023 season. This policy sets service levels and standards, and is updated on an annual basis to add new infrastructure including roads and lanes, protected bike lanes and transit shelters.
About the snow clearing process
In advance of a storm event and if roads are dry, crews spray a salt-water anti-icing solution onto the roads, which helps prevent snow and ice from bonding to the surface. Crews start work at 4 a.m. following a storm and clear routes based on a priority basis.
Priority 1 roads and infrastructure include the main routes, steep hills, emergency routes and major transit routes. It also includes 19 stairways, 14 pedestrian bridge accesses, 28 parking lots and pathways around 12 City-owned buildings. According to the policy, these will all be cleared within 12 hours of the storm ending.
While Priority 1 routes includes 80 km of roadway, some roads such as Main Street may require six passes to clear, which equates to 360 km of snow removal.
Once those routes are safely cleared, crews move on to Priority 2 routes, including collector roads, school zones, main industrial routes and minor transit routes.
Priority 2 routes total 43 km of roadway, equalling 106 km of clearing required, with these roads typically requiring 2-3 passes with the snow-clearing equipment. According to the policy, they will be cleared within 24 hours of the storm ending.
This also includes 42 transit stops with shelters, 25 km of sidewalks and walkways, 5 km+ of protected bike lanes along the Lake-to-Lake-Bike Route and four traffic calming areas. Operators from the Parks department clear City sidewalks first and then the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route on the return trip. Different equipment is used for the park walkways, sidewalks and bike lanes, which is not suitable for roadways.
Priority 3 routes include the remainder of the roads inventory such as residential roads, industrial side streets and primary access lanes, totaling 70 km (or 150 km of clearing). It also includes the remaining walkways, traffic islands and traffic circles, which are to be cleared within 48 hours of the end of the storm, unless the snow begins again, and crews return to Priority 1.
Crews and equipment available
- 38 staff
- 5 large snowplow trucks
- 4 rapid response snowplow trucks
- 1 loader
- 2 anti-icing equipped trucks
- 2 backhoes
- 3 mowers with snow attachments
- 1 municipal tractor (for clearing walking paths and bike lanes)
- 1 ATV with blade
The cost of snow and ice control
The Public Works Department spends an average of $507,000 annually (based on 2019-2022) on snow and ice control on roads, sidewalks and related infrastructure, as outlined in the policy. The 2023 budget request is currently estimated at $510,000, which will be part of the 2023 budget discussion process.
For further information and maps showing priority areas, are available to view on the City’s website at penticton.ca/snow.