After week of storms, snow removal still an issue
Posted Feb 9, 2015 11:23:26 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Snow removal crews continued to dig the city out Monday evening.
The city says, after 60 centimetres of snow, complicated by rain and freezing temperatures, the ice pack on the roads will take repeated salting and scraping to improve.
In a Monday afternoon press release, the city says sidewalks are its priority for the next 12 to 24 hours, but it will be clearing snow-clogged streets in downtown Halifax and Dartmouth, and in Sackville.
And the city is reminding people that even when the winter parking ban is not in effect, if your vehicle gets in the way of a plow, it could be ticketed or towed, anytime, day or night.
The city says its crews will focus on these streets, and asks people not to park on them between 9 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday:
- Spring Garden Road
- Brenton Place
- Dresden Row
- Birmingham Street
- Argyle Street
- Grafton Street
- Gottingen Street
- Portland Street
- Downtown Dartmouth
- Sackville Drive
Meantime, snow removal continues to be a hot button issue among Haligonians.
One caller who lives in the city’s west end told News 95.7 he had to plow his own street after waiting days for the city to do it.
Coun. Steve Craig says that’s unacceptable, and admits the snow-clearing system could use some improvement.
“But when it comes to taking a look at the people, the processes, the procedures, the sequencing of these things — we’ve got some pretty smart cookies in the municipality who are industrial engineers, who are process-type people,” said Craig.
“And if we don’t have them, we can certainly buy them.”
The city has had a tough time clearing roads as quickly as some people would like to see, with some blaming the delays on a lack of coordination between street and sidewalk crews.
Coun. Steve Adams says that’s a legitimate complaint.
“If I’m doing the sidewalks and [Craig]’s doing the streets, then I’m not too concerned about what he has to clean up after I’m finished, and I think vice versa,” he said.
“I think a more coordinated effort would help.”
Craig says if you have issues with plowing on your street, you should call 3-1-1.
If that doesn’t work, put in a call to your councillor’s office.
