Ice and Snow Plan

Public Works Ice/Snow Plan

Ice and snow storms can cause a severe economic impact on the community depending on the intensity and duration of the storm. This plan is designed to keep transportation systems as operational and as safe as possible during ice/snow storms in order to minimize the economic impact on the community and to provide the prudent motorist with a reasonably safe traveling surface.

Goals

• Keep snow emergency routes operational with a priority being to provide a reasonably safe traveling surface into town during morning rush hours and out of town during evening rush hours
• Maintain Lane Transit District (LTD) snow bus routes
• Provide emergency sanding for police, fire, emergency medical services, and school districts
• Keep runways at the Eugene Airport operational
• Maintain school snow routes

Priority Criteria

Streets are placed on the snow route list by reviewing specific criteria, as listed below. The criteria determine whether they are included on the list, as well as priority designation. 

• Elevated structures (bridges and overpasses)
• Emergency service locations (fire/police stations, Roosevelt Maintenance facility, and hospitals)
• Geographic constraints (steep hills)
• Historically hazardous traffic locations
• Lane Transit District bus routes
• School Districts (4J & Bethel)
• Traffic volumes

Policies

These policies apply to the City of Eugene street system and to streets for which the City of Eugene has special maintenance agreements with other jurisdictions for ice and snow control. Ice and Snow Control operations consist of snow plowing, sanding, anti-icing and deicing. These polices do not apply to the Eugene Airport because airport snow removal practices and procedures (i.e. plowing, anti-icing, sanding, and deicing) are influenced by the Federal Aviation Administration and the operating requirements of commercial air carriers:

• Ice and Snow Control operations will be performed along designated snow routes as snowfall occurs. Priorities may be altered to address specific problem areas. Streets that are not designated snow routes will not be plowed, sanded or deiced unless specifically requested by the police or fire emergency.
• The City does not have a bare pavement policy. Snow and Ice Control operations are intended to provide the prudent motorist with a reasonably safe traveling surface. During heavy snowfall or severe icing conditions motorists may need to install chains or other traction devices.
• Deicing and anti-icing chemicals with corrosion inhibitors may be used in quantities necessary to keep sand stockpiles and sanding equipment workable.
• Ice control operations will consist of the application of abrasives and/or deicing/anti-icing chemicals along designated snow routes. When accumulated snow becomes compacted and plowing becomes ineffective, abrasives and/or deicing/anti-icing chemicals will be used as in normal ice control operations.
• During ice control operations abrasives and/or deicing/anti-icing chemicals will normally be applied within 100 feet of a controlled intersection, on bridges, overpasses and their approaches, and along curves and steep grades. Application of deicing/anti-icing chemicals may occur days prior to freezing conditions on designated snow routes. The Maintenance Director may alter this policy to address unique storm conditions.