Snow & Ice Plan
SNOW & ICE CONTROL PLAN
CITY OF RANSON,
WEST VIRGINIA
PREPARED BY
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
DATE: Rev. December 2008
PUBLIC WORKS MISSION STATEMENT
The City of Ranson Public Works Department will meet the needs of our community by professionally managing the public infrastructure and ensuring a safe, clean and healthy environment.
Conducting our business openly, honestly and ethically. Behaving professionally at all times. Valuing the relationship with our customers. Enhancing the sense of Community with neighboring communities. Communicating and cooperating to achieve the goals of the Department and the City. Providing our services equally to all our customers, both internally and externally. Using the fewest resources possible while still accomplishing our goals. Being stewards for responsible development. Striving to surpass expectations of the community.
PURPOSE STATEMENT
To provide access to desired destinations such as employment, shopping, and community services or other facilities in a quick, convenient, safe, and comfortable manner for all population groups in the community with a minimum of harmful effects on the environment.
FORWARD
The purpose of this Snow and Ice Control Plan is two-fold: (1) to provide the general public and city officials with an insight into the complexity of snow and ice control operations; and (2) to summarize policies and procedures to be followed by city personnel.
Snow and ice control is frequently a matter of choosing between two evils. For example, plowing snow off to the side of the street may clean the center, but it often covers sidewalks and blocks driveways. Plowing to a windrow down the center of the street may alleviate these problems, but may create others by impeding left turns and restricting traffic flow. The purpose of this plan is to set forth the issues and to establish policy and procedural guidelines.
This plan addresses four areas of concern: Level of Service, Priorities, Operational Procedures and Special Requests.
Level of Service is controlled by balancing resources committed to the public's willingness to pay for this service.
Setting Priorities recognizes that streets cannot all be cleared simultaneously.
Operational Procedures are aimed at implementing the plan as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Special Requests for service are an inherent part of snow and ice control efforts and must be addressed.
Snow and ice control is a matter that is taken very seriously. It is an area that involves safety, liability, economic and energy conservation issues. This Snow and Ice Control Plan recognizes the unacceptability of snow clogged, ice covered, unsafe and impassible roadways.
Finally, snow and ice control is addressed as an uncertain activity.
Snowfall rate, temperature, wind velocity and storm duration affect response.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. LEVEL OF SERVICE
II. PRIORITIES
III. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
IV. SPECIAL REQUESTS
APPENDIX I. SNOW AND ICE CONTROL MAPS
1. LEVEL OF SERVICE
The range of service possibilities vary from a "curb-to- curb bare asphalt" removal of snow and ice on every street, alley, sidewalk and pedestrian crosswalk in the City to a policy of "do nothing". The first extreme is not within the realm of practicality and the second is unacceptable to the residents of Ranson. A snow and ice control program includes varying levels of service for City streets, depending on a variety of factors such as traffic volumes, emergency access, public safety and available equipment.
The primary objective of the Public Works Department is to provide for the safe and orderly movement of vehicular traffic throughout the City during all weather conditions including severe winter storms. Although City streets, including major arterials, may be temporarily closed during extremely severe conditions, the Department will use available resources to prevent closing or to keep the duration of closures to a minimum. Although the Public Works Department strives to keep all lanes of traffic moving, during extreme conditions travel may be limited. Sidewalks and driveways are also concerns: (see sect. III Operational Procedures)
The Department will not clear sidewalks nor attempt to "dig out" private driveways during snow emergencies. The Department clears pedestrian crosswalks only in the Oldtown district.
Recognizing that it is not possible for the Department to remove all the snow from all the streets concurrently, the level of service to be provided is summarized below:
The Public Works Department shall use available resources to keep public streets in the City open for vehicular travel during all but the most severe weather conditions.
When extreme weather conditions severely restrict or halt traffic movement, the Department will operate continuously, twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week, clearing streets in the order of priority provided in this plan.
These operations will continue, although the level of effort may decline as progress is made on the priority list, until vehicular traffic movement has been restored to a safe and acceptable level throughout the City.
In order to assist the efforts of the Department, property owners or building occupants are prohibited from placing snow and ice on public streets and alleys. Driveways, alleys, and parking areas in any area shall be cleared so that snow and ice from such areas are not placed in the public streets.
II. PRIORITIES
The City of Ranson receives an annual average snowfall of 24 inches. Snowfall is often accompanied by winds in excess of 40 mph and subzero temperatures. This plan recognizes that it is not possible to remove all of the snow simultaneously from all of the streets. Factors effecting snow and ice control operations include snowfall rate and accumulation, moisture content, temperature, time of day, night or week, wind velocity, and the duration of the storm. Priorities must be established so that major arterials and other collector streets are cleared first in order that vehicular traffic may continue to move safely and efficiently on the City's street network.
This plan establishes and defines the following priorities (See Appendix I for color coded maps):
Priority One: Emergency Snow Routes (Red)
Streets designated as emergency snow routes and signed as such, with specific road signs placed within the street right-of-way.
The purpose of this designation and signage is to alert the public that these streets are to be kept clear of parked vehicles which may interfere with snow and ice control operations.
Upon declaration of a snow emergency, declared by the City Manager or his designated representative, vehicles left unattended on the emergency snow route system shall be removed at the owner's expense.
Emergency Snow Routes are given Priority One designation as they provide a network system for emergency services operations.
Priority Two: Primary Streets (Blue)
Primary streets interconnecting high volume streets and completing the major street network with particular attention to schools, hospitals and business areas.
Priority Three: Collector Streets (Green)
Collector Streets: including mass transit routes and other collector streets necessary to provide access to the Primary Streets.
Priority Four: Misc. Residential Streets (Brown)
Most residential streets and others not mentioned above. These streets will be cleared as time and equipment allows unless ordered cleared by the City manager or his designated representative.
Other: State Maintained Roads (Yellow)
Streets maintained by the West Virginia Department of Highways.
Special Requests:
After operations on priorities one, two and three have been accomplished, special requests will be responded to once the need is verified by the Public Works Department. The response will depend on resource availability (manpower, equipment, etc.) and backlog of the requests.
III. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
The Public Works Supervisor will respond to advance notice of an approaching storm by taking the following steps:
Ordering plows and/or sanders to be installed on trucks; Closely monitoring weather developments; Alerting crews that they may be called back to work at any time, due to possible weather conditions.
When snowfall or freezing rain is possible, the Public Works Supervisor will direct crews to begin operations when, in the supervisor's opinion, one or more of the following conditions exist:
Icing of streets is occurring or likely to occur, creating a hazard to vehicular traffic. Snowfall accumulation which exceeds two inches (2") on emergency snow routes is imminent or occurring. Snowfall has accumulated on non-priority streets in amounts sufficient to halt or block traffic. This typically means an accumulation exceeding five inches (5") on the streets.
A. PUBLIC SAFETY
The Ranson Police Department is responsible for public safety. Throughout the winter season the police, as part of their regular patrols, will monitor the road conditions and report to Public Works any change in conditions or localized trouble spots with regard to ice, snow or public safety concerns. The police will call a phone list beginning with the public works "Duty Phone". Public Works will then respond to correct the situation and restore vehicular traffic movement to a safe and acceptable level.
B. PLOWING PROCEDURES
For each of the three conditions described above, the following practices will be used:
CONDITION 1:
Slick or icy spots will be sanded to reduce the hazard or danger to vehicular traffic. Particular attention will be given to areas near stop signs, traffic signals and hills, especially those on or adjacent to streets on the emergency snow route system.
CONDITION 2:
When snow depth exceeds two inches, snow removal crews will commence plowing on emergency snow routes. The goal is to keep these streets open to travel so that emergency services vehicles can reach all parts of the city with minimum delay. Snow will be plowed to the curb line on emergency snow routes.
CONDITION 3:
Plowing of residential streets will not typically begin until after emergency snow routes, high traffic volume streets, hospitals and public school accesses, mass transit routes, business districts and city parking facilities have been cleared of snow accumulations.
The plowing will normally be done by pushing snow toward the side of the street. Care shall be exercised by operators to minimize the blocking of driveways and burying of sidewalks. The Public Works Supervisor, however, recognizes that blocking driveways and burying sidewalks is at times unavoidable. The burden is then with the property owner or occupant to clear them.
C. DE-ICING PROCEDURES
The City's salt policy calls for a minimum amount of salt to be used to achieve as safe a street surface as possible. Deicers may be used on pedestrian crosswalks in the Oldtown district and on high traffic volume intersections when normal sanding may not effectively improve conditions.
D. SNOW REMOVAL
The act of snow removal is limited due to the high cost and manpower demands associated with this process. This operation is not started until plowing and sanding of all Priority One routes has been completed.
E. SIDEWALKS
The Code of Ordinances, Corporation of Ranson, West Virginia
Sec. 17-25. Accumulation of snow, ice and debris on sidewalks; removal at expense of property owners; fines.
(a) No person shall permit the accumulation of snow or ice upon the sidewalk adjacent to any property owned or occupied by such person within the city, but shall remove the same within 12 hours after the snowfall has ceased to fall or ice has formed.
(b) No person shall permit the accumulation of trash, debris or anything unsanitary upon the sidewalk adjacent to any property owned or occupied by such within the city, or within five feet of any such sidewalk.
(c) Upon the accumulation of any snow, ice or debris upon any sidewalk or any debris within five feet of any sidewalk in violation of this section, the city will issue a warning citation that states the time of infraction and outlines possible actions by the city. If after a 24-hour period from the time of the warning citation, the owner or occupant of the adjacent property fails to correct the infraction, the city may remove such snow, ice or debris at the expense of the adjacent property owner and shall constitute a lien upon such property or may impose a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $100.00. Each day during which any violation of this section continues shall constitute a separate offence.
IV. SPECIAL REQUESTS
Persons who have questions about snow and ice control or unsafe winter driving conditions should contact City Hall, 725-1010. Calls received by the Public Works Department during or after a winter storm will be logged in order to provide a record thereof.
Since the Public Works Department receives a large number of special requests during and after a winter storm, it is not possible to dispatch snow and ice control equipment immediately upon request. Examples of special requests are driveway clearing, mail delivery plowing, and drainage or parking issues. The Supervisor shall substantiate special requests by a means such as:
Radio messages from equipment operators; Information from field supervisors; Requests from the Ranson Police Department.
Once a request is determined to be valid, the Supervisor shall respond. Unless directed otherwise by a higher authority, special requests shall not be given priority over the planned schedule.
The response action will depend on resource availability and the number of special requests to be dealt with.
APPENDIX I SNOW AND ICE CONTROL MAPS