Busier routes to remain focus for road crews after snowstorm, city says
City hopes to tackle Priority 2 routes later Wednesday as city reminds drivers to adjust to conditions
Major roads will continue to be the focus for Calgary's snow plows on Wednesday, while Priority 2 routes will be tackled later in the day, the city announced in a transportation update on Twitter.
The busier routes, which include Crowchild Trail and Glenmore Trail, are priorities for road crews in order to keep the most Calgarians moving safely through the city, the update said.
The city will begin clearing Priority 2 routes — or roads that see 5,000 to 19,000 vehicles a day, such as Kensington Road and Acadia Drive — after high-volume routes are completed.
According to the city, there are 70 sanders and 21 graders out on Wednesday, and an additional 10 graders have been hired to help clean up the roads.
The city said all of its graders and sanders are equipped with GPS, and show up on its snow clearing progress map, but some of its sanders require WiFi hot spots for updates to show.
A snow route parking ban has not been implemented by the city, and the update said it does not yet anticipate the need for one.
Good morning, crews continue to work through the seven-day snow plan. We thank you for your patience as we work to make the roads safe. Here's an update: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yycsnow?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yycsnow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yyctraffic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yyctraffic</a> <a href="https://t.co/2IDtrYc2ku">pic.twitter.com/2IDtrYc2ku</a>
—@yyctransport"Citizens should now be focused on clearing the sidewalks of snow and ice," the update said, and reminded Calgarians that this must be removed within 24 hours of the snowfall ending.
And though road conditions may appear to be good, the city said, it urged Calgarians to drive for winter conditions, and that low temperatures can lead to icy roads.
Trouble spots often include residential areas, bridge decks, ramps and hills, it said.
Drive for winter, city urges
The City of Calgary's schedule for clearing snow from public spaces, including roads, sidewalks, bikeways and pathways, is mandated through its seven-day snow plan.
The plan was activated after the snow stopped falling, A massive winter storm began late Monday afternoon and lasted until about 10 a.m. Tuesday, turning roads into a slippery mess.
Up to 40 centimetres of snow accumulated in parts of the city, and Calgary police said there were 54 non-injury collisions, 12 that resulted in injuries and nine hit and runs.
More than 150 buses were reported to be stuck in the snow during the storm, and on Wednesday city representatives told CBC News that some remain stuck.
"Yesterday we saw quite a number of buses stuck on the roadway, some of them we did have to leave behind," said Stephen Tauro, communications and information lead for Calgary Transit.
"But over the next couple days, we'll see those stalled vehicles on the side get back to the garage."
Tauro said only 20 per cent of buses are behind schedule as of Wednesday afternoon.
"In some communities, we've seen some challenging situations, but we are working through them," he said.
With files from Rick Donkers