Snow Removal - Lions Bay - The Village of Lions Bay

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MORE WINTER WEATHER ON ITS WAY… Public Works monitors weather forecasts and snow conditions on an ongoing basis and de
MORE WINTER WEATHER ON ITS WAY… Public Works monitors weather forecasts and snow conditions on an ongoing basis and decisions to salt and/or plow are usually temperature-based. Our goal is to provide residents with the highest possible level of service, and to promote a safe environment for vehicular traffic. To this end, staff may work staggered and extended shifts to keep Village’s roadways as safe and accessible as possible during and after snowstorms. We take this responsibility very seriously and strive to continuously improve our operations. With this in mind, please carefully review the following notes – your assistance is greatly appreciated. Road Priorities At the beginning of a snow event, be assured that Public Works staff are out, but all roads cannot be treated at once. Even when all of our equipment is at work, heavy or intense snowfall may recover streets before repeat clearing is possible. Please give us time to manage the snowstorm. Contact the Village Office or Public Works if you feel your street has been missed. Public Works prioritizes roadways during snow events, with heavily trafficked or arterial roadways being our highest priorities – these include Kelvin Grove Way, Oceanview Rd., Lions Bay Ave., Crosscreek Rd., Centre Rd., Bayview Rd., Mountain Dr., and Sunset Dr. Neighborhood roadways and cul-desac streets are important to our operations; however, when winter conditions are extreme these roadways may not be treated right away. It takes a minimum of four hours to plow and/or salt all the roads in the Village. We attempt to minimize the impact of snow and ice. However, it is each motorist's responsibility to drive according to the road conditions. Snowplows During snowfalls when plows are used (generally at accumulations of 2 inches or more), the initial passes of the snow plows are primarily to open the road to traffic flow. Expect to have the snow pushed back to the curb on a later passes. This is done to provide more space to push away future snow and to provide drainage when the snow melts, so that water runs along the side of the road and not in the travelled portion of the roadway where it may re-freeze as temperatures drop. Remember that snow plows cannot pick up and carry snow, so snow is placed where our operators believe it will create the least amount of problems for motorists. Lastly, snow plows are optimally designed to throw snow as far as possible from the roadway. If you’re standing on the shoulder please try to move away from the roadway, if this is not possible, turn your back to the snow plow. Remember, the snow thrown by the plow will contain snow, ice, salt, sand and any other debris from the road surface – a good reason to park your cars as far into your driveway as possible! Off Street Parking The Public Works department’s primary objective is to remove snow from the streets. If you have a driveway, please PARK AS FAR INTO THE DRIVEWAY AS POSSIBLE and leave the road clear to be plowed. If on-street parking is your only option, please try to park on one side of the street to allow plows to widen the streets as much as possible. DO NOT PARK IN CUL-DE-SACS – our

vehicles require the space to turn around. If they can’t, chances are they won’t make a second attempt for a while. Remember, plows are wider than your average truck – IF THERE’S NOT ROOM TO GET THROUGH, YOUR STREET CAN’T BE PLOWED! Smart shoveling Please refrain from shoveling or snowblowing snow into the streets. Plows will end up pushing it back into driveways the next time they pass. Instead, throw the snow into your yard. We understand that it can be frustrating when plows push snow into driveways. Again, the Village’s main goal is to clear the street. To help keep driveways from being blocked, shovel a ‘corner’ of the boulevard several feet before the driveway. This may help hold the snow coming off the plow and reduce driveway blockages. Snow Reminders In order to assist the Public Works Department during snow events, we would like to remind you of the following: •

Snow tires will improve driving safety and help prevent accidents. Disabled vehicles can end up blocking a plow from continuing on its route.



The effectiveness of salt is temperature-related. Salt works best between 0°C to -7°C. At lower temperatures, we may add sand to their salt mixture to provide added traction.



Plows may be followed by a salter, resulting in two trucks working a street at the same time – if you see one truck pass by don’t assume another won’t be coming right after it.



If an emergency arises while streets are being plowed, staff and resources may be diverted. For instance, a water line break would require immediate attention and would take priority.



Visibility from the driver’s seat on a snow plow is limited – DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO PLAY IN THE STREET, or in the snow windrows (banks) on the side of the street and particularly between vehicles. Remain as far away from the plow as possible.



YIELD TO THE SNOW PLOW or pull out of its way if it is coming up behind you.



Do not attempt to flag down any snow removal vehicle – call the Village office reception and a service request will be created. WE CANNOT PICK UP PASSENGERS – we are not insured for this!



For assistance during regular business hours please call the Village Office at 604-921-9333 or Public Works Yard at 604-921-9833. For after-hours emergencies, call the Public Works OnCall phone at 604-290-1498.