HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-06-110 - Winter Maintenance Update 2006/2007
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Community Services
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Report To:
Date of Meeting:
Submitted By:
Prepared By:
Ward(s) Involved:
Date of Report:
Report No.:
Subject:
Community Services Committee
November 20. 2006
Ken Currier, Director of Operations
Scott Berry, Manager of Maintenance Operations
All
November 6, 2006
CSD-06-110
WINTER MAINTENANCE UPDATE 2006/2007
RECOMMENDATION:
For information purposes only.
BACKGROUND:
In November 2005, Operations staff presented report CSD-05-141 outlining the road anti-icing
strategy for the winter of 2005/2006.
Within this report, staff summarized the approach the City of Kitchener has taken with respect to
winter maintenance policy and procedures involving staff training, Global Positioning System
(GPS) with our fleet, salter spreader technology, and pre-wetting and anti-icing pilot projects.
Of likely the most significance within this report was the substantially expanded roadway anti-
icing program to include all road sections which are regularly salted. Typical road sections these
salt routes would encompass include Regional Roads, arterial routes, and all road sections
serviced by Grand River Transit (GRT).
REPORT:
For the winter of 2006/2007, the following highlights are offered for Council's information in
terms of winter maintenance activities:
· Road salting and anti-icing program will be expanded to reflect city growth through
development, as well as changes in service provided by GRT. Salter routes will remain at 14
for this season.
· The use of a freeze point depressant (Geomelt 55) will continue to be used for pre-wetting
activities in colder temperatures. New for this winter, will be a pilot project using Geomelt 55
with our anti-icing activity on a small scale.
· Weather will continue to be tracked using various media and web based services including
Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) stations.
Accurate weather forecasts are imperative if we are to be successful in proactively utilizing
our anti-icing strategy. One example of utilizing weather forecasts and our anti-icing abilities
Report No: CSD-05-11 0
to offer a high level of service to motorists is the practice of anti-icing on the Friday prior to a
snow event being predicted over the weekend. If the snow event is not preceded by rain,
Operations will anti-ice on the Friday. While this strategy offers the regular benefits of anti-
icing in terms of reducing snow bonding to pavement, roads returned to bare pavement
condition faster resulting in the reduction in salt loading to the environment. This practice
also has the potential to save significant expenditure of resources needed to be deployed on
the weekend, should the snowfall be light.
· Winter maintenance of groundwater sensitive areas will continue to have Epoke salt pre-
wetting units deployed within these areas. Salt application within these areas are being
tracked separately from other areas, and reported to the Region of Waterloo.
· Snow melting will be employed for the first time in 2006/2007 in a joint partnership between
the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo. This unit will be utilized at various locations throughout
the two cities this winter. This activity has the potential to save money when compared to
the traditional method of hauling snow long distances, but also to raise levels of service in
areas where we normally have not hauled snow in the past.
· New Hours of Work legislation expected to be introduced in January 2007 will have
significant impacts on the City's ability to respond to a winter storm with our current
resources. For the 2006/2007 winter, a pilot project is underway involving the hiring of 2
additional temporary employees for the winter season. In addition, 2 rental loaders will be
deployed in plow routes with concentrated numbers of cul-de-sacs within them. Staff are
optimistic the loaders will have a higher productivity in plowing cul-de-sacs than the trucks
traditionally deployed to these areas. Under this scenario, the number of plow routes will
expand from 30 to 32 in number. As stated, this is a pilot project, and the resources we are
implementing will be assessed throughout the winter as to the level of effectiveness.
· The City continues to work with the Region of Waterloo and the Area Municipalities in a
collaborative way, particularly in terms of winter maintenance activities.
Road sections in the Kitchener and Waterloo boarder area will continue to be maintained
through the Shared Services Agreement.
The salt management group consisting of area municipalities within the Region continue to
meet regularly, and review pilot projects in terms of successes and failures. Salt data will be
reviewed by the group and used to benchmark advances in salt management. The City of
Kitchener continues to be a leader in the area of salt management. Our various pilot projects
results are shared with other municipalities to learn from and incorporate into there own
delivery of services.
· The City's internet site will continue to communicate to residents useful information about
our winter maintenance activities, including shared services, sidewalk clearing, mapping of
salt and plow routes, including plow priorities, winter parking regulations including
enforcement information regarding fines, as well as frequently asked questions relating to
winter maintenance. Proposed for this season is new information on anti-icing as well as
snow melting activities.
COMMUNICATIONS:
Operations will be working with the Communications Department to address various forms of
communication to our residents pertaining to winter maintenance activities including Your
Kitchener, Leisure Magazine, corporate internet site, The Record, and various radio spots as
required.
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CONCLUSION:
The anti-icing program will continue to be refined over this upcoming winter as staff build on
previous year's knowledge.
Operations staff will continue to assess the program, along with snow melting and hours of work
issues throughout the 2006/2007 winter, and will report back in 2007
Ken Currier
Director of Operations
AP