STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-October 30, 2019-City snow plows have made an early return to streets after several October storms blanketed the Yampa Valley with the most snow seen in decades for this time. As city snow maintenance kicks into high gear, the start of November also signals the start of winter parking restrictions and no overnight parking on city streets.
“Our crews all live here and recognize that winter brings lots of snow; but, we’re all in this together,” said Streets Superintendent David Van Winkle. “In many towns, snow like Steamboat sees during the winter, and sometime even overnight, would shut it down. However, with our dedicated team, we’re able to drive our streets every day.”
The city’s snow plowing program utilizes a fleet of motor graders, complemented by sand trucks. This method allows for improved widening of the roadways, the removal of snow pack on the streets, and a reduction in windrows per storm.
In order to expedite snow removal, winter parking is prohibited on city streets and shoulders from November 1 through April 30. No overnight parking is permitted on city streets during the following hours: Lincoln Avenue and Ski Time Square from 3am to 6am; Anglers Drive and city limits south from midnight to 8am; and, all other areas from 2am to 8am. Vehicles left on city streets within the restricted hours may be ticketed and/or towed.
The city’s priority is to keep streets clear of snow for emergency access and traffic flow. Streets are prioritized according to public safety requirements and traffic volumes, with a focus on access routes for emergency vehicles, bus and commercial routes, before moving into residential areas. When the storm stops, snow storage piles are removed using loaders and a massive blower, which can fill a dump truck full of snow in under ten seconds and transported to the snow storage site.
Residents are reminded not to push, place or put snow in the street as it creates a safety hazard and creates a larger windrow for your neighbor when streets are plowed. Private contractors are prohibited from dumping or storing snow on city streets, such as parking spots, or in the city right-of-way. Also, please refrain from playing or building snow forts in the right-of-way.
During plowing, snow windrows are created across driveways and removal is the responsibility of the property owner. The city tries to keep this occurrence to a minimum, but it will happen with the sheer volume of snow. Residents can often minimize windrows, by clearing an area to the left of the driveway to collect snow pushed by the plows as well as shovel/blow snow in the same direction as traffic to accumulate down road of the plow on your property.
The city maintains 80 miles of streets, 6 miles of alleys, 37 parking lots, 1,100 fire hydrants and 105 cul-de-sacs, utilizing 5 graders, 6 sand trucks with 2,800 tons of scoria annually, operated by 17 full-time and seasonal employees with 24-hour coverage. The five miles of US Highway 40 through downtown is the responsibility of the Colorado Department of Transportation. Additional information on winter operations, parking restrictions and snow removal can be found at steamboatsprings.net/snow.
-WeServeTheCity-
Contact
David Van Winkle, Streets Superintendent, 970.879.1807 or email
Tom Martindale, Streets Supervisor, 970.879.1807 or email