BACKGROUND

The Lowell Department of Public Works maintains approximately 300 miles of streets and sidewalks.  During the winter months, the department is responsible for plowing and removing snow as well as minimizing and treating icy conditions.  The department is also responsible for clearing sidewalks, school parking lots and driveways and other public buildings.  The department's goal is to provide safe, practical access to homes, business, public buildings and medical facilities during winter storms.

Weather and local road conditions are constantly monitored during the winter months. Forecasts are followed closely and are an important tool, particularly when tracking large storms.  The city of Lowell uses two weather forecasting services as well as monitoring local radio, television and website forecasts.  Both services provide daily forecasts as well as updates as required by email and also by cell phone for unpredicted changes in the weather.  The LDPW Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and General Forman receive the email updates.  The Commissioner monitors these email updates on his BlackBerry when he is not in the office.  Both services contact the commissioner directly via cell phone should the need arise.  In addition to the LDPW, Police and other city departments constantly monitor road conditions.

LDPW crews are on call and equipment can be mobilized quickly to treat an icy section of road or address dangerous conditions.  No two storms are identical; weather conditions can vary significantly during the winter months.  Different conditions require different tactics and circumstances will dictate the appropriate strategy.

WHEN A STORM STARTS

During normal business hours, LDPW staff will monitor the weather and dispatch trucks and equipment as required.  For nighttime and weekend storms, the LDPW Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, General Forman and Watchman along with the  Police Department monitor road conditions.  They will notify crews should snow or icing develop.  These individuals will respond with the appropriate number of trucks and equipment concentrating on main roads.  This will ordinarily involve treating roads to keep snow and ice from forming and packing on the road surface.

Plowing operations begin as needed.  Major routes and arteries are the first priority followed by secondary roads and the smaller streets.  The primary objective of winter operations is to keep roads safe and passable and to prevent unmanageable accumulations in long duration storms.

If a significant storm is predicted, the LDPW Commissioner and the Police Chief will confer with the City Manager and if necessary a parking ban will be ordered.  The parking ban will prohibit parking on city streets in order to allow plow crews to perform their jobs quickly and efficiently.

AS THE STORM CONTINUES

If the snow accumulates, LDPW efforts will shift more fully towards plowing.  By this time, additional drivers and snow plow contractors will have been called in to begin working their assigned plow routes.  A combination of apparatus is used including plow trucks, front-end loaders, backhoes and sidewalk equipment. All thirty-one LDPW plow trucks, except five, are equipped to spread salt, small amounts of sand, or a mixture of both.  Resources are assigned based on factors such as the lane miles and the type of road, i.e. main road, residential area, and other considerations.  Additionally, Lowell has approximately eighty cul-de-sacs and over two hundred and fifty four dead end streets which are plowed by smaller one-ton trucks.  These are typically the last to be cleared, usually due to blocked access by cars.  The LDPW will make all attempts to deploy as many resources as possible to these streets.

At this point, the goal is to keep the travel lanes open, minimize accumulation, and maintain passable conditions on the main roads.  As the storm diminishes, drivers will go back over all routes to clean up and widen the roadways and intersections.  Salt and brine solution will be applied to treat road surfaces as required.  It may take 3 to 5 hours to complete a typical plow route.   Driveways are always an issue.  DPW crews are sensitive to this problem; however there is no practical way to plow snow without affecting driveways.  The drivers do their best to minimize filling in or blocking driveways. 

STREET PARKING BAN

Depending on the forecast predication of impending storms, the Chief of Police, in consultation with the City Manager and Commissioner of Public Works may institute a parking ban on all city streets.  Although inconvenient for some residents, it is a necessary action so that winter operations can proceed, efficiently delivering services to all residents.

AFTER THE STORM

Once the storm has ended, all secondary and small roads and dead-end streets will be cleared.  The entire city will receive "another pass" to insure the roads are in a satisfactory condition.  Salt and sand will be used to treat icy spots and packed snow.  At this point, the focus shifts entirely to sidewalks and snow removal.

SIDEWALKS

Residents are required, by ordinance, to clear snow from their adjacent sidewalks within twenty-four hours of a snow event.  The City clears two one and one half mile routes to and from each public school.  Although the city has several pieces of sidewalk equipment; it typically takes 1 to 2 days to completely clear these sidewalks.  In some areas, it may not be possible to completely clear designated sidewalks until snow is removed from the street.

SNOW REMOVAL

The City does not have a policy of hauling snow after each and every storm.  However, it is advisable to collect snow off certain streets whenever possible.  Attention will be focused on the streets located in the immediate downtown area where parking, traffic volume and speed, intersections, and parking lots require attention.  Intersections and turn around areas elsewhere will be done on an as needed basis.  Hauled snow will be dumped at a suitable location as determined by the LDPW Commissioner.

COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

Complaints will be recorded on telephone logs.  Calls requiring service will be transferred onto a work request form and forwarded to the appropriate supervisor for scheduling.  Emergency complaints will be handled in an expeditious manner with resources available.