Is Calgary doing a good job at clearing snowy roads? The reaction is mixed
But do critics have a point, or just forget what snow clearing looks like after a mild end to 2023
With the snow tapering off, Calgary road crews have started to plow and lay down traction or anti-icing material on major routes like Glenmore Trail and Crowchild Trail.
Crews will also focus on clearing pedestrian overpasses and sidewalks next to city-owned properties, along with high priority bus stops and designated sections of pathways.
The department wants to remind Calgarians they're required to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours after snowfall ends — even though its snow clearing plan takes up to seven days to fully implement.
According to the city's snow clock on Thursday, roughly 32 per cent of work had been completed in the first 11 hours since the snow stopped falling in Calgary.
Anyone who drove over the past couple of days can attest that roads have been pretty slick.
Calgary police say there were 139 collisions on Thursday between midnight and 4 p.m. On Wednesday by 4 p.m., police had responded to 70 fender-benders.
So … is snow removal better this year?
It's been a relatively slow year so far for the city's snow-clearing crews, as Calgary didn't see a significant amount of snowfall by the end of December.
That didn't stop Reddit user mant15-tob0ggan taking to the Calgary thread online to commend the city crews in dealing with this latest bout of winter weather.
"Credit where credit is due. Snow removal on our roads this year is so much better," said the post on Wednesday.
But not everyone agreed, and some even questioned the sincerity of the compliment.
- Check out the comments below for more reaction.
"Seriously? All the major roads have been an absolute joke this year. You can't see the lines, there's barely any gravel being laid down at intersections," said Firestorm238.
"As an actual bus driver — hell no!" ScotchMints posted.
"The snow clearing here is a joke compared to what I grew up with in Ontario," said Martin0994.
Calgary complaints
It's not the first time Calgary has been compared to other cities.
Calgary relies on homeowners and businesses to keep the sidewalks adjacent to their properties clear of snow and ice, and they face big fines if they don't. In some Ontario municipalities, by contrast, the city handles most of that work.
Calgary also doesn't clear snow from every residential street, although the city does level ruts and puts down anti-icing material when needed. One councillor told CBC News in 2018 it would cost $15 million every time to plow and then remove snow from every single road.
CBC traffic reporter Jenny Howe says she's heard plenty of complaints this year.
"Conditions are definitely less than ideal on the roads right now. I'm hearing that lane definition is poor on some of the major routes with a fair amount of snow building up between lanes," she said. "Roads are also icy, not just at intersections and on bridge decks, but just in general. Commuting has been very challenging over the last couple of days, that's for sure. More challenging than I would expect this far into the winter driving season."
But is that just because we haven't seen the need for a lot of snow clearing this year?
Deep freeze also seen on roads
Chris McGeachy with the City of Calgary says that might be part of it, but the extreme cold was also not great for ice buildup.
"We've obviously been dealing with consecutive winter events and both have looked quite different," he said, pointing to the cold snap followed by snowfall.
Calgary does add a pickle mix to the roads, and it's an exact science when it comes to the appropriate temperatures. They can't dump a ton of gravel on roads because it can be a safety concern.
He says it's important to remember that Calgary is a winter city, and drivers should plan accordingly for icy roads and snow. But they are always looking for ways to improve the city snow-clearing response.
For now, they are focusing on priority routes.
"They're out there in full force. We do have a full complement of staff working through the winter, so we work rotating shifts through the winter 24/7," said McGeachy.
City didn't use full budget last year
The city promised faster snow clearing, particularly on major routes, in October 2022. Then in October last year, it announced a pilot project was coming to northwest Calgary to focus on more of the Priority 2 routes immediately after a storm. They plan to evaluate that project after the season ends in spring.
The city has increased its equipment and now has 101 sanding trucks and 27 graders for this season, and says it did save big money on snow and ice control costs in the final months of last year.
The lack of snow with the relatively mild start to the winter season meant the city under spent its budget by $10.4 million last year. City mobility director Troy McLeod says that's about 20 per cent of the budget.
"We actually saved a significant amount of money when it came to not doing the regular snow and ice control operations, which include putting material down, blading and doing a number of other things with our equipment to keep it on the road and keep everyone safe, whether it's on a sidewalk, pathway or street. And so we have $10.4 million favourable from last year's budget," he said.
With little snow to clear in the final months of 2023, McLeod says city crews were able to get a jump on pothole repairs instead.
The city says a record number 33,000 potholes were filled last year.
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With files from Terri Trembath, Acton Clarkin and Scott Dippel