SASKATOON — More than 70 per cent of snow piles on Priority 1 streets — including Idylwyld Drive, College Drive, 8th Street and 22nd Street — have already been hauled away with contractors being hired to help clear more snow beginning next week.
City Roadways, Fleet & Support Director Goran Saric said snow piles in the medians of Priority 1 streets must be removed first, “because they present the highest risk to public safety if there is no place for new snow to be stored.”
“With all the extra snow this year, we’re adding contractor assistance to the job so we can get to the next priority streets quickly.”
Snow removal on Priority 2 streets in all areas of the city will begin over the next couple of weeks.
Watch for “No Parking” signs posted on snow piles with the scheduled date for removal, and encourage your neighbours to move their vehicles off the street to help the work go smoothly.
“I can empathize with residents who are frustrated with the size and height of these snow piles. Our roadways staff are doing their best and giving their all this winter to get that snow out of the way to improve visibility and safety,” said Saric.
Snow piles along the City’s Priority 1 streets, the busiest, remain after a snowfall so the network can be graded quickly. Removing them requires different equipment and is best done at night when traffic and pedestrian activity are lighter for the safety of workers and the public.
The snow piles are unusually large this year because of the above-average number of snowfalls and frequency. Each time it snows, snow removal is halted as city staff attend to the priority streets to clean up.
You can find more answers to frequently asked questions about snow removal and priority street grading at saskatoon.ca/snow.
