The City of New Westminster is reminding property owners that ice and snow need to be removed from sidewalks by 10 a.m. of the day after a snowfall.
The city advises residents to avoid shoveling snow onto the street as it can block drains and lead to flooding when the snow starts to melt. It's also suggested that residents avoid using salt, as it damages the surface of sidewalks, and use de-icing products instead.
"It pits it so it makes it rough," said Jon McDonald, the city's manager of engineering operations. "The deicer is just as good. It is not going to damage the sidewalks."
After last weekend's snowfall, the city received about 10 complaints about sidewalks not being cleared of snow. In response to the snowfall, the city had four trucks on the streets and "hand crews" clearing sidewalks near city facilities.
The City of New Westminster's bylaw requires property owners to clear sidewalks of snow and ice to the full length and width of the sidewalk, right down to the bare concrete.
"You have to consider wheelchair traffic," McDonald said.
The Seniors Services Society is in need of volunteers willing to shovel sidewalks for local seniors who are unable to clear their own sidewalks because of physical limitations or health issues. The society has a waiting list of people wanting assistance with snow removal, but it's not sure how it will accommodate those requests with the current volunteers.
On the roads, the City of New Westminster's snow and ice response plan designates priority routes for clearing. The primary snow routes are meant to keep major transportation routes, transit routes and areas around hospitals, school zones and city facilities clear.
Once crews have tackled the primary snow routes, they'll target secondary snow routes, which focus on commercial and residential areas. Lanes will only be cleared in response to a medical emergency or other special circumstance.
McDonald said crews were working Monday right, when a snow warning was in effect in the region. By morning no snow had fallen in New Westminster. "It hasn't snowed that much," he noted. "We have got our crews, if they are not on alert, they are out there."
McDonald encourages motorists to be courteous and pull over to the side of the road if they see a city salt truck behind them. "If we can't move, we can't do our job," he said.
Anyone wishing to volunteer and help shovel snow for seniors can contact the Seniors Services Society at 604-520-6621.
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