Policy Statement

1   (1) The City is committed to providing the Community a responsive and affordable winter response plan and service levels that support a safe, economical, and reliable Roadway system.

(2) The parameters under which snow and ice are cleared from City Roadways are clearly defined.

Purposes of this policy

2   (1) To ensure the City's Roadway system is maintained in an effective manner during winter conditions to optimize safety, mobility, and economic vitality of the Community.

(2) To identify the winter maintenance service levels for snow and ice control on City Roadways, Bus routes, and Sidewalks and parking lots at City facilities.

Application

3   This Policy addresses the snow and ice removal on City Roadways, Bus routes, and Sidewalks and parking lots at City facilities.

Interpretation

4   (1) Schedule “A” contains definitions of terms used in this Policy.

(2) Unless otherwise provided in this Policy, words and phrases used herein have the same meanings as in the Community Charter, S.B.C. 2003, c. 26, Local Government Act [RSBC 2015] c. 1, R.S.B.C. 2015, c. 1, and Interpretation Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 238, or as the context and circumstances may require.

(3) A reference to a statute refers to a statute of the Province of British Columbia, and a reference to any statute, regulation or Bylaw refers to that enactment, as amended or replaced from time to time.

(4) Words in the singular include the plural and gender specific terms include both genders and corporations.

(5) Headings in this Policy are for convenience only and must not be construed as defining, or in any way limiting the scope or intent of this Policy.

(6) If any part of this Policy is held to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the invalid part is severed and the remainder continues to be valid.

Definitions

5   In this Policy, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Anti-Icing" means a snow and ice control strategy that involves the application of de-icing material (chemical solution) before the snow, ice, or frost has fallen or before the bond has formed. This prevents the precipitation from bonding with the pavement surface, or, at the very least, weakens any bond that may be formed.

"Bus" has the same meaning as defined in the City's Street and Traffic Bylaw, 2006.

"City" means the City of Abbotsford.

"Emergency Vehicle" has the same meaning as defined in the City's Street and Traffic Bylaw, 2006.

"First Priority" means arterial Roadways, major collector Roadways, Bus routes, hilly areas and school zones, as set out in Schedule “B”.

"Pedestrian" has the same meaning as defined in the City's Street and Traffic Bylaw, 2006

"Public Transit System" means any form of transportation that charge set fares, run fixed routes, and are available to the public, including, but not limited to, Buses, subways, ferries, and trains.

"Roadway" has the same meaning as defined in the City's Street and Traffic Bylaw, 2006.

"Sanding" / "Salting" means the application, either manually or by mechanical spreaders, of sand/salt mixture to improve traction on Roadways.

"Second Priority" means industrial and commercial Roadway and secondary through Roadways in residential areas, as set out in Schedule “B”. These residential Roadways are located between the arterial and major collector Roadway grids. They are typically over 200 meters in length and connect local traffic with either an arterial or major collector Roadways.

"Sidewalk" has the same meaning defined in the City's Street and Traffic Bylaw, 2006.

"Snow Plowing" means graders, loaders and/or sand trucks engaged in clearing accumulated snow from Roadways.

"Third Priority" means all remaining residential Roadways not already identified as First Priority or Second Priority.

Guiding principles

6   (1) General

(a) The key principles of this Policy are to:

(i) provide vehicular and Pedestrian traffic with adequate mobility under prevailing winter conditions within the City's financial, equipment, and staffing, resources;

(ii) reduce the hazards of ice and snow conditions for motorists and Pedestrians;

(iii) facilitate the operation and routing of Emergency Vehicles;

(iv) facilitate the operations of the Public Transit System;

(v) minimize economic losses to the community and industry;

(vi) ensure the parking lots at City owned facilities are adequately maintained in a safe, economical, and reliable manner; and

(vii) ensure that Sidewalks at City owned facilities are adequately maintained in a safe, economical, and reliablemanner.

(2) Priority Roadways

(a) Anti-Icing, Sanding/Salting, and Snow Plowing operations are conducted on Roadways according to the following priorities:

(i) First Priority;

(ii) Second Priority; and

(iii) Third Priority,

as set out in Schedule “B”, Priority Routes.

(b) Sanding/Salting and Snow Plowing on First Priority Roadways are carried out 24/7 as long as poor conditions exist.

(c) First Priority Roadways are maintained until the conditions are under control; only then are resources re-directed onto Second Priority Roadways.

(d) Once conditions are under control on Second Priority Roadways, resources may be re-directed to Third Priority Roadways.

(e) A condition based level of service exists on all Third Priority Roadways; conditions will be assessed after First Priority and Second Priority Roadways have been completed.

(f) As soon as conditions deteriorate on any of the higher priority Roadways, resources are allocated back to those Roadways.

(3) Maintenance and Service

(a) Anti-Icing/Sanding/Salting operations commence as conditions dictate, (i.e.: black ice, commencement of snow falls and other slippery conditions).

(b) Snow Plowing occurs once snow or ice accumulation is present on the Roadway and the winter conditions are continuing.

(c) Roadway surfaces are to be maintained in good winter condition, which does not mean “bare pavement”, through continued use of assigned personnel and equipment and subject to availability of resources.

(d) Snow removal from Sidewalks is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. Snow clearing operations will impact driveways, the City will not lift ploughs to avoid driveways, nor send crews afterwards to clear driveways.

Exclusions

7   N/A

Prohibitions

8   N/A

Related procedures, guidelines and publications

9   The following documents are related to this Policy:

(a) Street and Traffic Bylaw, 2006; and

(b) Good Neighbour Bylaw, 2003.

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