MESSAGE FROM CORE ROADS
I wanted to provide an update on Core Roads snow removal operations as they progress into the second straight week of arterial and residential snow removal. Snow removal is a costly and sophisticated operation, as it requires the coordination of up to 10 pieces of equipment for just one crew (mix of City and Contractors) and therefore has to be scheduled and prioritized carefully. The emails sent out with the snow removal schedule is a visual representation of the magnitude of the work that is required. Each page on the snow removal schedule represents one crew. The make-up of one snow removal crew can vary based on the type of equipment required, but a typical crew consists of a combination of graders, front-end loaders, loaders with a blower, sidewalk plows, triaxle dump trucks, backhoes, supervisory vehicles and other equipment specific to snow removal. Snow removal is a massive and important undertaking, and we will continue to work our hardest to provide service in line with our Maintenance Quality Standards.
As we find ourselves on the verge of a record setting January snowfall accumulation, Core Roads has had snow removal crews working literally 24 hours a day since January 22, 2019 (the cleanup of our last large snowfall). We plan to continue our snow removal on major and minor arterials, transit corridors and into the residential streets. We fully recognize the necessity for snow removal in the downtown Core areas, and we will continue to schedule snow removal crews to work around the clock. We do like to emphasize the fluidity of the snow removal process – there are a number of factors, which contribute to the speed and effectiveness of the program. For instance, any weather events that occur during snow removal operations will move staff off removal crews in order to meet Maintenance Quality Standards on the Snow Clearing and Abrasives end of our operation (plowing and salting sidewalks and streets). As well, icy and dense snowbanks take more time and equipment to remove than does a light, fluffy snowbank.
We will continue to run snow removal crews throughout the night tonight, simultaneously preparing for another snow event cleanup tomorrow. I assure you that our staff is all-hands on deck right now and committed to the snow removal and clean-up efforts. We understand the concerns of residents in regards to the necessity and frequency of the removal process. I will continue to try to provide more information as it becomes available, but for now I have to urge patience as these operations take time. Continue to insist that residents submit service requests to 3-1-1 and online so that we can have their concerns tracked, and in the hands of operational staff quicker.
With more snow forecasted, we will work to ensure that we provide the Maintenance Quality Standards outlined and expected by members of Council. Please continue to send any urgent concerns that your constituents may have along to us via the 311 Council platform. If you have any general questions or require information, please do not hesitate to reach out via email or phone call. Again, thank you for your continued patience and I will follow up with any updates I have as we progress into the Snow Removal process.
