Snow Clearing Priorities
The City of Prince George's snow-clearing operations maintain roads and sidewalks in passable conditions throughout winter. Council's Snow and Ice Control bylaw categorises the City's 670km of roads and 184km of sidewalks into three snow-clearing priority routes. These are presented in three colours - red for Priority One, green for Priority Two, and grey for Priority Three - on the City's snow clearing map below.
Learn more about Snow and Ice Control Route Restriction and Regulation Bylaw
Priority One Routes (Red)
These are to be completed within 48 hours of the end of a snow event
- Main arterial roads
- Downtown Central Business District. This includes the area bordered by 1st and 15th Avenues and Vancouver and Queensway Streets.
- Priority hills
- Hospital District
- Civic Facilities entrances, priority parking lots, and pathways
The Hospital District includes the following:
- Alward Street from 15th Avenue to 10th Avenue
- 10th Avenue from Alward Street to Laurier Crescent
- Laurier Crescent from 10th Avenue to Lethbridge Street
- Lethbridge Street from Laurier Crescent to 13th Avenue
- 13th Avenue from Lethbridge Street to Winnipeg Street
Priority Two Routes (Green)
These are to be completed within 48 hours of the end of snow event. Priority Two routes include all bus routes that are not main arterial roads, and all commercial/industrial roads
Priority Three Routes (Grey)
These are to be completed within 72 hours after Priority Two Roads are complete:
- Residential roads and lanes
- All remaining Civic Facilities parking lots
- Select park facilities, parking lots, trails, and pathways
What is a "Snow Event"?
A "snow event" may happen on specific snow-clearing priority routes if snowfall over a 24 hour period meets or exceeds certain limits set by the City. If a snow event is announced, the City will mobilise its snow fleet together with contracted equipment to meet service requirements outlined in Council 2014’s Snow and Ice Control Procedure and the Snow and Ice Control Route bylaw. Outside of such an event, the City will use its own fleet to maintain the road and sidewalk network by plowing and sanding as required.
If there is a snow event:
- Priority One (Red) and Priority Two (Green) routes will be cleared in 48 hours if 75mm of snow (or more) falls in 24 hours.
- Priority Three (Grey) routes will be cleared in 72 hours after Priority One and Two routes have been serviced if 120mm of snow (or more) falls in 24 hours.
Subscribe to News and Notices and Be Prepared
Keep up-to-date on information about snow clearing and other road conditions by subscribing. Be sure to select the checkbox labelled,
"Roads (Snow Clearing, Sweeping, Paving, and Load Restrictions)" under the "General" header in Notices and Alerts to receive the latest news and updates.
Parking Restrictions
Parking restrictions are in place from
October 15 to April 15 of each year to help with snow and ice control operations:
-
On-street parking is prohibited from
10:00pm to 7:00am on Priority One roads and hills, the Hospital District, and a number of other designated roads.
-
On-street parking is prohibited from
12:00am to 7:00am downtown.
-
On-street parking is prohibited from
8:00am to 6:00pm in Residential areas. Parking on the side of the street with odd house numbers is permitted from
6:00pm to 8:00am unless otherwise posted.
- Illegally parked vehicles are subject to a $50 ticket per offence and/or may be towed.
Questions and Answers
How do I make sure that my property improvements don't get damaged by snow plows and graders?
Street allowances in residential areas are normally 20 metres wide with a 10-metre road surface within this road allowance. In curbed areas, this leaves 5 metres (16 feet) on each side of the road as City Boulevard. Approval from the City is required prior to making improvements to boulevard areas. Please contact the Roads Division at 250-561-7600 for more information.
Why do the plows go so fast?
Plows do have to go a minimum speed in order to throw the snow off to the side. The City asks its drivers not to drive faster than necessary. In some cases however, shrubs, fences, walkways and driveways close to the curb cannot avoid getting snow on them.
I'm very concerned about our environment. Why don't you eliminate the use of salt?
Salting is much more economical for small amounts of snow when the road surface temperatures are warmer than -7 Degrees Celsius. The salt content used in the sand/salt mix is minimal (approximately two (2) per cent) and serves to prevent the freezing of the sand in the City's sand trucks. Direct salt applications are very expensive and are used only when necessary. The City is working on a salt management plan to ensure salt is only used when necessary and managed properly.