{"id":10696,"date":"2016-02-11T07:31:24","date_gmt":"2016-02-11T12:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=10696"},"modified":"2016-02-11T08:16:27","modified_gmt":"2016-02-11T13:16:27","slug":"toh-public-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/toh-public-works\/","title":{"rendered":"When you see a plow, go slow, be courteous, and stay safe"},"content":{"rendered":"

They head out while most of the town sleeps to ensure local roads are safe for travel. The Town of Huntsville\u2019s Public Works Department has a big task on snowy days: clear almost 500 kilometres of local roads as quickly as possible. If you\u2019re waiting for your road to be cleared, you might wonder how they determine which roads receive attention first.<\/p>\n

\u201cPriority routes \u2013 those near schools or the hospital, or ones with steep grades \u2013 receive attention first,\u201d says Ross Fisher, Road Foreman for the Town of Huntsville. \u201cBut our response also varies depending on the storm \u2013 we react to how much snow is on the ground and how much is still forecast to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

That means if a plow passes your home at 5 a.m. one day, it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll see it again at the same time on another day. Plows will usually be on the roads by the time there are five to eight centimetres of accumulated snow, even if it\u2019s still snowing. Be patient \u2013 it does take time for the Town\u2019s owned and contract plows, graders, and sanders to clear the 340 kilometres of paved roads plus another 150 kilometres or so of gravel roads. The crew also keeps in-town sidewalk routes clear with special sidewalk machines.<\/p>\n

\"Remember

Remember to keep garbage and recycling off of sidewalks on garbage collection day so the plows can get through<\/p><\/div>\n

Public Works staff monitor the weather around the clock. The department\u2019s single shift of workers plow every street at least once during their 12-hour shifts \u2013 the longest period allowed under MTO guidelines \u2013 and in bad weather could be back on the road just 10 hours later.<\/p>\n

The faster they can clear those routes, the sooner you\u2019ll be able to get around with ease. There are ways for local residents to help that process go faster, says Fisher.<\/p>\n