City of Lethbridge crews have been kept busy the past few days thanks to a dumping of snow from Mother Nature over the weekend.
This means snow plows are out tackling the white stuff. Transportation Operations Manager for the City of Lethbridge, Juliane Ruck, says after a major snowfall, plows, which use a mix of sand and salt to tackle the snow, will travel in a formation.
She says it is important for the community to give plow operators plenty of space.
“On the bigger roads like [Mayor] Magrath, Whoop-Up [and] Scenic, we sometimes use five to six plows in one formation, [so] it’s really important that residents stay back, don’t try to skip between all our plows and create unsafe conditions for our staff and for themselves.”
SNOW ROUTES ACTIVATED
To account for the snowfall, snow routes were activated on Sunday, November 24, which resulted in parking restrictions coming into effect at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 25.
READ MORE: Snow routes, parking bans activated in Lethbridge
The 24-hour notice is a way to give drivers a chance to move their vehicle if it is parked along a snow route. The routes are marked by a sign featuring a blue snowflake.
Ruck says enforcement officers will be out checking impacted streets to make sure vehicles are moved. Those who leave their vehicle parked along a snow route could face a $50 fine. Removing a parked vehicle from a snow route helps make the work of plow operators more efficient but also ensures vehicles do not get damaged.
“That [moving a vehicle] makes it way more efficient for our equipment to plow those [roads] and we get all the snow cleared away so that when it melts, the driving surface is nice and clean,” Ruck says.
“We operate large equipment, [and] drivers have to watch the curb, the road [and] other traffic, so if we don’t have cars parked that they [plows] have to maneuver around, it really helps us a lot and makes our operation go smoother.”
Ruck says it’s important for residents to have a parking plan and know where they can move their vehicle if they are parked along a snow route. She suggests downloading the Lethbridge Loop app to receive notifications when snow routes are activated.
A live online tracker is available to see where snow plows are working in the city.
WINDROW ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Ruck adds the Windrow Assistance Service pilot project will start up on Tuesday, November 26. The pilot is intended to help residents who live on snow routes and may have mobility challenges related to navigating windrows.
READ MORE: Windrow Assistance Service for snow route residents with mobility challenges
The program will create a parking-to-home access passage through the windrow for people who have signed up.
More details about the program are available at the Get Involved Lethbridge webpage.
