Georgina's winter operations good to go in the event of snow
2018 winter operations budget is $1.5M
Yorkregion.com
December 6, 2018
Heidi Riedner
While some people get a "snow day" in the face of winter blizzards, that’s when the work begins for Georgina’s roads department to ensure residents and visitors can get around safely.
Whiteout conditions, massive amounts of snow and the odd frustrated driver or angry shoveller battling the inevitable windrow at the end of their driveways are all in a day’s work for plow drivers out clearing the town’s roadways after a winter wallop.
The 2018 winter operations budget of $1.5 million covers 333 kilometres of roads, 140 kilometres of sidewalks, 25 parking lots and 31 crosswalks. The proposed 2019 winter operations budget will go before council on Dec. 12.
Last season, the town treated and travelled 70,000-lane kilometres of roads after 74 snow events under a $1.2M budget.
But when the fluffy stuff starts flying, all people want to know is, Where’s my plow?
The app offered by some municipalities that answers that exact question isn’t being considered by the town as an option right now, but roads foreman Dennis King says it isn’t really needed here because all roads are plowed with associated ‘clean up’ within 16 hours.
“A lot of other municipalities don’t offer or guarantee that,” he says.
Just when exactly your street is plowed within that time frame is based on a priority and secondary route system.
Drivers have designated routes that focus on main roads, such as those with schools and high traffic flow, followed by secondary roads that often include cul de sacs and dead-end streets.
Depending on the severity of a storm, it can take roads staff eight to 12 hours to make one complete pass of all town roads.
Main arterial roads, such as Woodbine Avenue and Ravenshoe and Old Homestead roads are plowed by York Region, while Hwy. 48 is handled by the provincial Transportation Ministry.
Recent changes to the town’s winter operations, particularly in terms of technological advances, have made an already lean and efficient machine even more so.
“There is a real science to it now,” roads superintendent Scott Edwards says.
Tandem trucks that come with a $300,000 price tag are outfitted with electronic distribution systems with reduced spread patterns, GPS tracking, rear and underside cameras, front plow, belly scraper and side wing extensions all under the deft control of the driver at the helm of a complex dash and floor instrument panel.
“It looks like a cockpit in there,” Edwards says.
Material is tracked, calibrated, documented and downloaded when trucks come back into the yard.
“Three years ago, we’d use 15,000 tonnes of material; currently we are down to 6,000 to 7,000 tonnes," acting director of operations and engineering John Armstrong explained.
“Fundamentally, we are using the same amount of salt, but there has been a dramatic reduction in the amount of sand used. The cost savings is in the application because the sanding operation years ago might take six hours a single pass because the trucks would have to make two or three trips back to the yard for material because they were spreading a lot more material. Now they go out with one load and can do their whole route with one load and actually come back with material because they are spreading so much less. The savings is in staff time and equipment time.”
While some things, including the speed of trucks, can be tracked down the smallest detail, other things simply can’t be avoided.
The windrow at the end of your driveway is one example and, no, drivers aren’t plowing your driveways in for fun or out of spite.
Adding windrow clearing to the town’s list of services was floated at one of the very first budget discussions of the past council, but quickly nixed due to cost and operational issues.
For example, it costs the City of Vaughan just over $2 million to provide the service to its residents.
Complaints are also unavoidable, with the big three over mailboxes, plow speed and sod damage. But Mayor Margaret Quirk said the town actually gets far more compliments and positive feedback with the job that plow operators and other staff do during and immediately following a winter event.
“The reality is, these guys live and have families here, too, and they give their everything to make sure the roads are safe for them and you," Edwards says. "It's personal, but it's a pride thing, too. What a lot of people don’t realize is … at the end of the night, when we go home, we got windrows, too.
If you do have a concern, call the town's main number and follow the prompts.
"Actually leave a message," says Quirk. "Don't tag the Mayor on Facebook; leave a message and someone will get back to you."
Useful tips:
- Stay off the road if you can and let plows do their job
- Remember to keep kids away from snowbanks
