Edmonton snow crews have made significant progress in clearing priority roadways, reaching 70% completion just hours after a Phase 1 parking ban was implemented across the city. The ban, which began at 7 a.m., restricts parking on major roadways, arterials, collector roads, and transit routes to facilitate more efficient snow removal operations.
Round-the-Clock Snow Clearing Efforts
City officials confirmed that both municipal trucks and hired graders are working continuously through the night and will continue over the coming days. Valerie Dacyk, general supervisor for infrastructure field operations overseeing snow and ice removal, stated at a Wednesday afternoon press conference that crews are also 60% through clearing priority active pathways.
"We are currently 70 per cent through priority 1 roadways inventory and 60 per cent through a priority 1 active pathways inventory," Dacyk reported.
Five-Day Timeline for Complete Clearance
The city has established a five-day timeline to complete clearing of priority 1 to 3 roadways and priority 1 to 3 active pathways. This aggressive schedule comes after heavy snowfall that prompted the city to expand its snow-clearing fleet to 120 graders from the usual 20 by enlisting private contractors early.
Crews have been working 24-7 since Monday night following the winter weather event, with officials determined not to be caught off guard as they were during earlier snow events in December and January.
Residential Streets Assessment Planned for Friday
City officials will turn their attention to residential streets later this week, with a comprehensive evaluation scheduled for Friday. The assessment will examine snowpack levels, safety conditions, and roadway conditions to determine the next course of action.
"We will be evaluating snowpack, safety conditions and running in residential roadways on Friday and will have an update at that time for our plan to either go in and groom the residential roadways or the potential for an additional Phase 2 ban," Dacyk explained. "But only at that time will we have an update on the residential roadways."
Learning from Previous Winter Events
Dacyk acknowledged that earlier snow events in December and January drew criticism from residents frustrated by slow clearing and low compliance during a Phase 2 parking ban. However, she emphasized significant differences between those events and the current snowfall.
"There are some big differences between the snowfalls that we had in December and into January and this snowfall," Dacyk noted. "This snowfall was a little over a one-day event, with a heavy snowfall, whereas in December we received heavy snowfalls back to back."
Proactive Approach to Current Snow Event
The city has taken a more proactive approach to this snowfall, mobilizing resources earlier than in previous events. Dacyk highlighted that hired equipment was called in before the snowfall ended, and the parking ban was initiated before the snowfall concluded.
"This snowfall we have called in the hired equipment early, so before the snowfall ended, as well as initiated the parking ban before the snowfall ended, so we do have a jumpstart in completing those priority 1 and 2 roadways for residents, as well as the priority 1 to 3 areas for active pathways," she said.
"Although we are following the same procedures, we just started a few days early on this event versus the one in December, which should give a better outcome, quicker, for Edmontonians."
The expanded fleet and early mobilization represent the city's response to previous criticism and its commitment to more efficient winter maintenance operations. With residential street assessments planned for Friday, Edmonton residents await further updates on whether a Phase 2 parking ban will be necessary to complete snow removal across all city neighborhoods.
