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Update April 26 2008 - Progress of our Winter Maintenance Workshops

Update February 12 2008 - WINTER MAINTENANCE LEVEL OF SERVICE REVIEW

Snow Removal

Our Snow Removal level of service was adopted in 1994, and I think it's time to review it.  I brought the subject up to the other Councillors and Senior Staff and asked that it be put on the agenda for policy and budget review. This has been done and has been improved slightly, although the budget has not actually passed Council as yet.  I'll update this space as it moves through the process.

Under the current policy, snow removal operations are determined on a priority basis, with streets being classified depending upon the level of service they provide to the community as a whole.

All streets are classified as Primary, Secondary, Local, Lanes and Rural, with operations being on the primary routes and generally continuing through to the other classifications, once certain criteria are attained.  A brief summary of the services follows:

Arterial Roads are roads that cary large volumes of vehicular traffic exceeding 5,000 vehicles per day.  They act as a through street and a major carrier of traffic that usually connects with a major Region or Ministry route.  They receive preferred service at all times.

Primary Roads are roads that collects traffic from secondary and local streets and distributes traffic to arterial roads.  They are usually the main access to residential, commercial and institutional areas.  They receive preferred service between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm.

Secondary Roads are roads that have a volume of vehicular traffic generally between 1,000 to 5,000 vehicles per day.  They serve as collectors for primary roads in residential and industrial developments.  Secondary Roads also include roads with severe designs including topographic hills, curves and access points.  These road receive acceptable services between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm.  Acceptable services means that traffic is able to move without undue difficulty.

Local Roads are roads with a volume of less than 1,500 vehicles per day and are not intended to carry through traffic.  These roads are classed as acceptable in snow packed conditions.  They receive service when snow accumulations exceed 7.5 cm. (2.9 inches).  When snow is continuing, ploughing will commence only when the snow has ceased or accumulations have exceeded 12 cm. (4.7 inches)

Rural Roads are roads, generally associated with agricultural land where the volume of vehicular traffic generally is less than 1,500 vehicles per day.  These roads are also acceptable in snow packed conditions.  They receive service when snow accumulations exceed 7.5 cm.  When snowfall is continuing, plowing will commence only when the snow fall has ceased or the accumulations have exceeded 12 cm.

Sidewalks are ploughed within 24 hours of the end of a snowfall when snow accumulations reach 5 cm or greater.

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WINTER MAINTENANCE LEVEL OF SERVICE REVIEW

PURPOSE:

To recommend opportunities to enhance winter maintenance service levels on local roads throughout the Town of Markham and to reduce the age limit qualification criteria for the Town’s windrow clearing assistance program, as outlined in Attachment ‘A’ of this report.

BACKGROUND:

On December 3rd, 2007, the Operations Department provided General Committee with an overview of winter operations including; road plowing/sanding policy; sidewalk plowing/sanding policy; salt management; windrow removal program and customer service. 

The Operations Department identified areas of concern for residents with respect to current levels of service and opportunities to enhance specific service levels for the 2007/2008 winter season.  Council directed staff to report back to General Committee with recommendations to; improve levels of service for local road winter maintenance and plowing; and to reduce the qualification criteria for senior’s windrow clearing assistance program from 65 years of age to 60 years of age.

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OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

Revised level of service for local road plowing

Throughout the winter season the Town experiences several snowfall events where accumulations do not meet the Town’s 7.5 cm threshold for local road plowing.  During the early onset of winter these snowfalls generally do not cause undue difficulty for traffic on local roads as favourable weather conditions usually prevail and the snow melts off within one or two days.  During January and February, when temperatures are much colder for extended periods of time, these smaller snowfall accumulations result in a hard-packed snow and ice on local roads.

The Operations Department recommends that the Area Supervisors be authorized to exercise the option to plow local roads before the 7.5 cm threshold is attained.  The Supervisors will consider the various factors that may impact the local road maintenance requirements, including snowfall accumulations, existing road surface conditions as well as current and long range weather forecasts, to determine when local roads should be plowed.

Revised criteria for windrow removal program

The snow windrow is defined as the portion of snow that is left at the end of the driveway after road clearing equipment has plowed the municipal road. 

The Operations Department currently provides a windrow removal service for residents in Markham that are either 65 years of age or older or physically unable to clear snow.  Due to the number of calls received by the Town from residents between the ages of 60 to 65 that are experiencing difficulty managing the removal of the heavy, hard packed snow associated with these windrows, the Operations Department recommends that the age threshold for qualification be reduced from 65 to 60 years of age.  Details of the revised qualification criteria are outlined in Attachment ‘A’ of this report.

Winter Maintenance Service Standards

In December 2006, Council identified the need to establish their four year mandate and priority plans for the Town. Council and senior town staff held several in-house workshops between January 2007 and March 2007 to identify a broad range of strategic areas of focus that would guide the Town.  Council and senior staff identified six areas of strategic focus– growth, environment, transportation, diversity, core/essential services, parks, recreation, libraries and public safety - along with action plans.

The Core/Essential Services issues identified by Council and senior staff recognized a need to identify the service levels at which the Town should deliver services; measure the actual levels at which they are delivered; and, revise policies and/or programs to reduce the gap.

Following the Operations Departments presentation on winter operations there was a great deal of discussion with respect to the current levels of service and thoughts on how these services may be improved or enhanced.  The Operations Department recommends that a Working Group consisting of a few members of Council and Operations staff be established to review current service standards to identify opportunities to enhance services, including financial implications, and report back to General Committee in the spring of 2008.

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FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Revised level of service for local road plowing

Based on average snowfall events over the past five years, the Operations Department estimates that the level of service for local road plowing will increase by approximately two occurrences per winter season.

The potential cost increase to provide two additional local road plowings is $160,000 per year, based on the current estimated cost of approximately $80,000 per occurrence.  By eliminating the ice/snow-packed conditions on local roads, additional savings of approximately $100,000 may be realized through reduced frequency of local road sanding/salting.  The estimated net cost to provide for two additional local road plowing occurrences is $60,000 per year.

Revised criteria for windrow removal program

During the 2006/2007 winter season the Operations Department provided windrow clearing service for approximately 1300 households.  By reducing the age threshold criteria from 65 years of age to 60 years of age, the Operations Department has estimated an increase of approximately 300 households for the 2007/2008 winter season.

Based on the current windrow removal contract price of $6.50 per driveway per occurrence, the Operations Department estimates a cost increase of approximately $9,750 based on 5 occurrences ($6.50 x 300 x 5) per year for the additional 300 driveways.  In addition, the revised level of service for local road plowing will result in an increase in service for driveway windrow clearing of approximately two occurrences per year at a cost of approximately $20,800.

The total estimated net cost, to both reduce the age threshold criteria from 65 to 60 years of age and to increase the frequency of providing the service from approximately five times per season to seven times per season, will be approximately $30,000.

The Operations Department recommends that the 2008 Operating Budget account 700 504 5301 be increased by $90,000 to cover the cost of the above noted service level adjustments.

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ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment ‘A’ – Snow Windrow Removal Program (revised)

ATTACHMENT ‘A’

SNOW WINDROW REMOVAL PROGRAM

Definition:                 The snow windrow is defined as the portion of snow that is left at the end of the driveway after road clearing equipment has plowed the municipal road.

Level of Service:       The Town of Markham will clear the windrow of  snow placed across the end of the driveway by  snow plow equipment, for residents approved for the program, within a reasonable time after the snow plow has passed the driveway (generally less than 6hrs).

Qualifications:           To qualify for the program all individuals residing in the household who are 60 years of age or older must provide proof of age.  All individuals residing in the household under 60 years of age must provide a current and valid doctor’s certificate confirming that they are physically unable to clear snow.

Important Information for Homeowners:

• ·        The Town reserves the right to decide when snow windrow removal service will take place.  Generally, crews will be dispatched to clear windrows of snow (one car width only) on primary roads following a 5 cm (2”) snowfall and on local roads following a 7.5 cm (3”) snowfall.
• ·        This service does not include the windrow of snow left by the sidewalk plow.
• ·        The Operations Department will clear the windrow within 8 hours following the plowing of the road.
• ·        Any obstruction at the end of individual’s driveways must be removed.
• ·        The Town is not responsible for any damage to individual’s driveways or landscaping features located within the road allowance.
• ·        Please ensure your house number is visible and illuminated.
• ·        Please notify the Town if you move from the address on file or if an any time a resident not covered by the qualification criteria moves into the home on a permanent and/or temporary basis.
• ·        Failure to comply with the conditions to qualify for this service and/or misrepresentation of information may result in the immediate termination of the service.

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Recommendations for February 12 Council

That the report entitled ‘Winter Operations Level of Service Review’ dated December 5th, 2007 be received;

And that the Operations Department be authorized to exercise their professional judgment to determine when local roads should be plowed before the 7.5cm threshold for local road plowing is attained;

And that the qualification criteria for residents making application for the Town’s windrow removal program be reduced from 65 years of age to 60 years of age as outlined in Attachment ‘A’ of this report;

And that the 2008 Operations Department budget account 700 504 5301 be increased by $90,000 to cover the costs of both the increased frequency of local road plowing and the revised qualification criteria for the windrow removal assistance program;

And that a working group, consisting of members of Council and staff, be established to review current winter maintenance levels of service and report back to Council in the spring of 2008 on opportunities and action items for service level improvements;

And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

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Progress of our Winter Maintenance Workshops

April 26, 2008

We have had a series of meetings and there are still more to happen about last winter's snow removal. Here are some of the items that we've covered and of the plans for the future.  It is done in a 'Question and Answer' format for ease of reading.  Please remember that these are preliminary.

Why are certain streets cleared before others?

Our winter maintenance service levels are based upon a prioritized response, where roads receive a classification associated with the level of service each street provides within the whole street network.  The classifications are defined as arterial-primary, secondary and local streets.  The arterial-primary streets receive the first response as they carry the greatest volume of traffic, are generally the emergency routes for fire, police and EMS, and service the institutional and business areas.

Local Streets seemed to be snow packed or covered with ice for an extended length of time, how can this be rectified?

In order to reduce the snow-pack or ice accumulation on local streets, we would require a quicker response to the clearing and material application.  Currently we are using graders to clear the local street network, although these units are able to push a significant amount of snow, they tend to take longer as their speed is limited.  Once the graders have completed their routes, we require the sander units to come in to apply winter control material, the two separate operations extend the response time.

We are investigating the feasibility of contracting single and tandem axle sander/plough combination trucks that would plough and sand local streets in one operation.  These trucks would not only be quicker, they would likely prove to be more cost effective as they would eliminate the need for a second operation.  These units would allow us to enter the local network sooner, reducing the opportunity for the snow pack or ice to form, therefore reducing the overall timeframe to complete local street responses, increasing the level of service.

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When can we expect to see this change in operations?

Staff have been preparing draft tenders for the procurement of these vehicles, unfortunately we presently do not have the capacity to service a fleet of this size and type with our existing Operations Facilities.  Our yard does not have the capability to store, load, and/or dispatch the number of units that would be required to service the local network without additional property, and /or a secondary facility.

Should we have more Supervision available to manage storm occurrences?

We will address the number of Supervisory staff available for winter storm occurrences during weekends, and none peak hours.  Please note that we are not allowed to contravene the hours of work defined in both the Employment Standards Act, as well as our Collective Agreement with CUPE, while providing 24/7 winter operations.

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Sidewalks were often blocked on major roads and pedestrian were walking on the roads creating a hazardous situation, what caused delays in clearing?

Sidewalk clearing adjacent to major roads were delayed for a number of reasons, least of which was the significant accumulations of snow.  Where sidewalks abut the roads, they often receive the accumulations from 2 to possible 4 lanes of roadway.  This snow amount exceeded what our compliment of sidewalks units could remove and we were required to bring in larger, more powerful equipment, loaders, graders and snow blowers to clear the snow, which delayed responses.  On occasions, the sidewalks were ploughed and shortly thereafter covered by the continuous ploughing of the streets (particularly on Region roads).  We further had numerous breakdowns with the contracted equipment used in sidewalk maintenance.

Are we addressing these concerns regarding the size and condition of sidewalk equipment?

Our Contract group has just completed a new tender for sidewalk maintenance that addresses the concerns with the previous contract that should alleviate the problems of this past winter season.  The new tender will cover an extended term (7 years with option for up to 3 additional years) which will provide the contractor with the assurance of a longer term commitment by the Town.  The contractors will be required to provide newer, heavier, and more powerful equipment to satisfy the contract specifications.  In addition, we are requiring automatic vehicle locators (AVLs) in all vehicles, allowing staff to track all equipment and ensure route optimization.

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Winter Operations Updates are well received, how can we notify the public of our daily winter activities?

We have discussed the opportunity with Corporate Communications to have a regular winter operations update placed on the Town’s web page, which we plan to have in-place by the fall of 2008. Our plan is to have a daily update posted by 10:00 a.m. daily.

We received a significant number of complaints regard the time it took to clear and the amount of snow left on the lanes, how can we address these concerns?

Rear lanes require a different approach to snow removal, generally there is not enough storage within the lanes to plough snow similar to the streets.  We are required to remove it with loaders and when storage capacity is exhausted we need to load and haul it away to a disposal site, which is costly and very time consuming.  The condition of the rear lane being snow covered can often be attributed to residents clearing their driveways directly onto the lane, as they too have no room for storage.

To address these concerns, we will increase the number of loaders, which will help speed the removal time.  We will increase the level of service for salting and sanding of the rear lanes in a timely manner that will allow the material to work quicker assisting in clearing the residual snow and ice pack.  Recognizing Council’s request for an increased service delivery to rear lanes, we will elevate rear lane priority within our program.

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Windrow clearing left at the base of driveway, how can we address this item?

Presently, we only clear windrows for residents on our approved assistance program, whether it’s due to age, 60 years or older, or people who are physically challenged and are unable to clear their windrows.

Clearing of all windrows town-wide is the topic of our next Council Winter Workshop.

What can we do to equally distribute snow when plowing streets so one resident does not receive more snow than their neighbour?

During our pre-season contractor meetings, we instruct the operators to always attempt to distribute the snow equally where possible. When we receive a complaint regarding issues of this nature we investigate them on an individual basis, and often find it has occurred as a result of illegally parked vehicle, or where the driveway is located within the inside corner.

Super Mailboxes, how can we ensure these are cleaned in a timely manner?

Super Mailbox snow removal is the responsibility of Canada Post, as per their agreement with the Town.  We maintain direct contact with their representatives advising of the snow removal requests. The Contact Centre directs all requests directly to Canada Post.

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The Region of York is using Anti-Icing, why aren’t we?

The Region does use anti-icing, and where traffic volumes are high enough this type of process has proven successful.  The Town’s traffic volumes are limited compared to the Region with the exception of a few of our arterial-primary routes such as Denison Street, John Street, Main Streets to list a few. We have included anti-icing systems in the tender specifications for two new trucks.  These tenders are due to be released by late April with an estimated delivery of new units in early 2009.

What is anti-icing and how does it work?

Anti-icing is the application of a liquid solution of salt brine, applied to the road surface prior to the winter occurrence.  This application to the road surface provides a barrier between the snow/ice and the road surface, breaking the bond so the snow can be easily removed by ploughing. Our observations have concluded that this process has provided satisfactory results under normal winter conditions.  Factors that may impact the effectiveness of this application include; traffic volumes; temperature fluctuations; and frequently occurring rain events, which dilute the solution limiting its effectiveness.

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