Adding new snow plowing services a $7.6 million venture for city: Report

THUNDER BAY -- If the city wants to change the way it plows streets, it could cost as much as $7.6 million.

A memo and an information only report are heading to council Monday night that will outline what happened to some city streets last month when rain and snow quickly turned to ice. That memo will also look at how the city could respond in the future, which could cost as much as $2.1 million.

Another report will look at the possibility of removing snow at the end of driveways after roads are plowed. Operating and capital costs for that would reach more than $5.5 million and would likely be impractical on any street with parking, dense housing or curbline sidewalks.

In late December last year the city was hit with rain and snow that quickly turned to ice on some residential streets.

Part of that was because the snowfall didn't hit the required ten centimetres for city plows to clear residential roads. Changing that policy to five centimetres would cost $450,000 the report says.

Another $200,000 would be needed if the city wants to increase the amount of salt it puts on roadways. Getting crews to respond more quickly would cost around $1.5 million for the city to have staff available 24 hours a day.

As for removing snow at the end of driveway, for $5.5 million, included in that is around $950,000 for operating costs, the city could purchase new snow gate attachments and new graders.

Doing that would delay plowing other streets. Plows wouldn't be able to push the snow up and over existing snowbanks, leaving the collected snow at the end of a driveway or in the roadway, eventually making streets less safe the report says. The city would also be limited on where the device could be used.

"The effectiveness of Snow Gates would be limited, or not practical, where there is on street parking, areas of dense housing and curbline sidewalks," the report says.