I’ve been receiving a steady stream of complaints about the snow plowing/removal in my ward since last week’s heavy snowfall. I had noticed myself that the service did not seem up to snuff, but the full extent of the problem has only become apparent to me over the last two days. There are some streets in the ward that have only seen one pass of the plow since the last storm. Some streets are still only one lane wide, and some still have sidewalks buried under three feet of snow, having not seen a sidewalk plow yet! This is apparently not the case in the other wards where there have been very few, if any, complaints. This is unacceptable and I’ve been working very hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Councillor Bernard, who is Chair of the Public Works Committee has been very helpful in tracking down the operational issues and he assures me we can expect better in the future.
Do You Get Many Calls?
Received a phone call yesterday from someone wishing not to be identified who witnessed a police cruiser "callously" speed through a puddle, thereby splashing an elderly woman on the sidewalk.
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Rob:
I think you’re going to be dealing with another issue, too. For the streets that were widened with the use of a snowblower, there was substantial damage done to a lot of lawns. With the current melt this is just starting to show. I suspect come Spring you’ll be getting a lot of calls from homeowners looking for the city to show up with landfill and sod.
I’ve wondered before about how the city manages the “performance” of their snowplow operators. Every year these guys rip out a bunch of asphalt curbs and do other damage. I understand that there’s pressure to clear things up as quickly as possible after a storm, but there should at least be some analysis done to determine whether it’s more efficient to have them plow fast and recklessly and pay for cleanup in the Spring, or to have them slow down and not do the damage in the first place. I’ve also wondered if the plow operators are held accountable at all for their performance? Shouldn’t a supervisor or inspector take a drive around from time to time (they could come check out our neighbourhood) and take the responsible operators to task for damage done. A lot of folks would likely lose their job if they performed in a similar manner at work.
Keep us posted.
Dave,
I’m already familiar with that spring ritual. I received several calls last year from residents looking for curb and lawn repair. To their credit, the city does many of these repairs without being asked; however, that proves your point that it might be less costly to slow down and avoid the damage in the first place.
I know last year there was a paving crew with an asphalt curbing machine and they had a list so long they expected to take most of the summer to repair damaged curbs. It’s always been my opinion that those asphalt curbs are a waste of money (I was disappointed they used asphalt curbing for the new crosswalk area at Queen Charlotte — I expect it to be mostly peeled away by spring).
It’s a balancing act though, as I’ve discovered over the last week, people want streets and sidewalks plowed yesterday. Short of staking off every property/curb/street/driveway in town, damage is inevitable. I’m always amazed after a heavy snowfall that the sidewalk plows have any clue where the sidewalk actually is. It’s like mowing your lawn blindfolded — you’re bound to run into something. With that said, I am aware of complaints that people have made against specific plow operators, and these do indeed filter down to the driver, but that is not quite a performance review. Worth looking into.
I noticed in your side bar there that you went out and cleared a storm sewer yourself. I hope the homeowner thanked you, because you certainly deserve it. That was a very nice thing for you to do.
Hi Ann! It was no big deal, but yes, I did receive a thank you.