HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-09-2011 South Bend Snow Clearance Update
Office of the Mayor
MEDIA ADVISORY
Sunday, January 9, 2011
5:00 pm
Contact:
Mikki Dobski, Communications & Spec. Projects, 574-235-5855 c. 574-876-1564
Sam Hensley, Division of Streets, 574-235-9244
South Bend Snow Clearance Update
South Bend, IN: Gary Gilot, Director of Public Works and Sam Hensley, Street Commissioner have
reported that, despite the record amount of snow fall, city crews have already completed three out of
four goals for snow clearance. At this point the following steps have been accomplished:
1. All main and arterial streets, as well as snow and bus routes have been cleared and are
open
2.All north/south streets have been opened with at least one lane
3. Downtown is clear and ready to go for work on Monday morning.
“Our crews have been working 24/7 with some staff working double shifts so that we could respond as
quickly and efficiently as possible. Their implementation of the plan has been great,” stated Gary Gilot.
“We are especially proud of the work that has been accomplished Downtown.” With this amount of
snowfall in a relatively short period of time, it was critical that the city move quickly to, not only open
the streets downtown, but because of the number of people who work, shop, eat, and visit downtown on
any given day, to clear all parking spaces as well. “We moved quickly with an early call for private
contractors to assist with the downtown snow clearance. At this point, we have plowed all of the
immediate area downtown streets and we have also removed the accumulated snow to ensure smooth
traffic flow as well as providing all the necessary parking for this busy area,” said Sam Hensley.
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Next Steps:
1. All east/west streets will be plowed on Monday
2.Crews will then return to north/south and then east/west streets to continuing clearing
from curb line to curb line and to widen the driving lanes as much as possible. Crews
will continue to work 24/7 this week as necessary
At this point, the biggest problem that plow crews are facing is cars that have not been moved from the
streets or are abandoned - “snow birds”. As a result, the crews cannot completely clear the street to the
curb line which makes traffic difficult, especially on the more narrow streets in the central part of the
city.
Tips for residents and property owners:
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No parking on east/west streets on Monday
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Clear off and move all cars parked on the street – crews will be making a second
pass around the city, after Monday. It is always recommended to park in
driveways or in garages and away from the curb lines whenever possible
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Help your neighbors, especially older people or people with disabilities, to move
their cars and to clear their sidewalks
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Fireplugs – If you have a fire hydrant on or near your property, please clear the
snow off of it. The South Bend Fire Department recommends clearing a 3 ft.
radius around the fire hydrant as well
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Do not try to pass plows that are moving in and out between cars parked along
the curb line. This is very dangerous and may cause an accident
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Do not shovel or blow snow into the street
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Never allow children to play in snow piles along curb lines. Please restrict them
from building forts in either snow piles or leaf piles along the curb lines.
Background Information:
South Bend has total of 500 miles of streets within the city, including 160 miles of main or arterial
streets and 340 miles of residential streets. Given the number of multiple lane streets, there is an actual
total of 2200 lane miles in South Bend!
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