The City of Springdale Public Works Department's main priority during the winter months is to provide a safe roadway system for motorists. The City is responsible for maintaining 136.51 lane miles within a 5 square-mile area.
We ask for your patience as we work to open the streets back up after inclement weather. Accuracy of weather forecasts, the amount of snow/ice, how fast it falls, temperatures, equipment issues, parked cars, and volume of traffic all affect the City's ability to clear the roads. Crews work very hard to clear the roads and make them safe. City crews treat every route with the same priority and work to get them cleaned as quickly as possible.
WEATHER ALERTS
The City of Springdale generally follows the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Snow Emergency levels as announced by the Hamilton County Sherriff's Office:
- Level I Snow Alert: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. No roadways are closed but unnecessary travel is discouraged. Residents are asked to move parked cars from the roadway to aid in snow removal.
- Level II Snow Advisory: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roadways. Contact your employer to see if you should report to work. No Parking on Snow Emergency Routes. Cars may be ticketed and towed.
- Level III Snow Emergency: All Municipal, Township, County, and State roadways are closed to non-emergency personnel. No one should be out during these conditions unless it is absolutely necessary to travel. Those traveling on the roadways may subject themselves to arrest.
TREATMENT METHODS
The City of Springdale uses three primary treatment methods:
- Salt is used as a treatment on streets when temperatures are above 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the snow is less than 1" in accumulation.
- Calcium chloride and salt mixture is used when temperatures are below 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the snow is less than 1" in accumulation.
- Plowing and salting is used for accumulations greater than 1" of snow. Unfortunately, plowing leaves a ridge or wind row along the edge of the street during plowing operations. During plowing operations, all streets are made passable first, then they are plowed back to the curbs, followed by final cleanup of intersections and cul-de-sacs due to their complexity.
PRIVATE STREETS
Private streets within Springdale are maintained by homeowners associations.
SNOW TIPS FOR RESIDENTS
Short of climbing behind the wheel of a plow, there’s plenty residents can do to assist snow plow operators in their efforts to safely and efficiently clear the roadways:
- Park vehicles off the street. Remove items, such as basketball hoops, from the right-of-way. Driving a plow is challenging enough. Imagine having to steer around parked cars on a slippery street.
- Do not deposit snow into the street when using a snow blower or shoveling a driveway.
- Never allow children to play in snow piles along the roadway. A plow operator may not see them when approaching in less than optimal weather conditions, or if the children have burrowed into the pile.
- If possible, wait until the plow has passed before shoveling the area of a driveway near the street. Plow operators are simply doing their job by clearing the street and will make multiple passes to clear the roads nearest to the curb. The snow must be pushed to the side of the road, which also, unfortunately, includes driveway entrances.
- Stack snow on the left side of the driveway entrance (when facing the house) in order to minimize the amount of snow that may be pushed into the driveway entrance by a plow. Plows typically clear snow in the direction of normal traffic, so a large snow pile on the left side of a driveway will be pushed away from the drive entrance.
- The City will not take requests for streets to be plowed. Streets are prioritized based upon traffic volume and terrain. Heaviest traveled streets get first attention so that emergency vehicles can pass. Less traveled streets — like a cul-de-sac or a dead-end street — are plowed last.
- Finally, crews are not superhuman. While they make every effort to clear the streets in an efficient and timely manner, they are limited by the severe weather conditions. Please remain patient during major storm events.
SAFE DRIVING TIPS
Here are a few things to help keep you safe as you venture out. Always check for Snow Emergency Levels placed in the area that you live and where you might be headed to ensure you can make it to your destination.
- Delay non-essential travel until after the roads have been cleared.
- Do not try to pass a snowplow or salt truck. If you cannot see the mirrors on the truck, the driver cannot see you!
- Every truck has blind spots, so don’t assume the driver can see every area around the truck. Never pull up behind a salt truck.