BACKGROUND

The Lowell Department of Public Works maintains approximately 300 miles of streets and sidewalks. During the winter months, the department has the responsibility for plowing and removing snow as well as minimizing and treating icy conditions. The department is also responsible for clearing sidewalks, school parking lots and driveways and other public buildings. The department's goal is to provide practical safe access to homes, business, public buildings and medical facilities during winter storms.

During the winter months, the weather and local road conditions are constantly monitored during the winter months. Forecasts are followed closely and are an important tool particularly when tracking large storms. The LDPW, Police, and other city departments constantly monitor road conditions.

LDPW crews are on call and equipment can be mobilized quickly to treat an icy section of road or address a dangerous conditions. No two storms are identical; weather conditions can vary significantly during the winter months. Different conditions require different tactics and circumstances will dictate the appropriate strategy. The following sections detail how the department plans for and manages a typical winter storm.

WHEN A STORM STARTS

During normal business hours, LDPW staff will monitor the weather and dispatch trucks and equipment as required. For nighttime and weekend storms, the LDPW Commissioner, Watchman and Police Department monitor road conditions. They will contact LDPW foremen and notify crews, should snow or icing develop. These individuals will respond with the appropriate number of trucks and equipment concentrating on main roads. This will ordinarily involve treating roads to keep snow and ice from forming and packing on the road surface.

Plowing operations would begin as needed. Major routes and arteries are the first priority followed by secondary roads and the smaller streets. The primary objective of winter operations is to keep roads safe and passable and prevent unmanageable accumulations in long duration storms.

If a significant storm is predicted the LDPW Commissioner and  Police Chief will confer with the City Manager and if necessary a parking ban may be ordered.  The parking ban will prohibit parking on city streets in order to allow plow crews to perform their job quickly and efficiently.

AS THE STORM CONTINUES

As the snow accumulates LDPW efforts will shift more fully towards plowing. By this time, additional drivers and snow plow contractors have been called in to begin working their assigned plow routes. A combination of apparatus is used including plow trucks, front-end loaders, road graders, backhoes and sidewalk equipment. All thirty LDPW plow trucks, except five, are equipped to spread salt, small amounts of sand, or a mixture of both. Resources are assigned based on factors such as the lane miles, the type of road i.e. main road, residential area, and other considerations. Additionally Lowell has approximately eighty cul-de-sacs and over two hundred and fifty four dead end streets, which are plowed by smaller one-ton trucks. These are typically the last to be cleared, usually due to blocked access by cars.  LDPW will make all attempts to deploy as many resources as possible to these streets.

At this point, the goal is to keep the travel lanes open, minimize accumulation, and maintain passable conditions on the main roads. As the storm diminishes, drivers will go back over all routes to clean up and widen the roadways and intersections. Salt and brine solution will be applied to treat road surfaces. It may take 3 to 5 hours to complete a typical plow route, significant accumulations may occur during intense storms. Residents should be prepared and be patient, LDPW will clear the streets.  Driveways are always an issue. DPW crews are sensitive to this problem; however there is no practical way to plow snow without affecting driveways. The drivers will do their best to minimize filling in or blocking driveways.

SHOVELING SNOW

Shoveling or moving the snow in the direction of traffic, and making a pocket next to the driveway will allow snow accumulation on the plow to drop into the space and decrease the amount left at the driveway entrance.

STREET PARKING BAN

Depending on the forecast predication of impending storms, the Chief of Police, in consultation with the City Manager and Commissioner of Public Works may institute a parking ban on all city streets.  Although inconvenient for some residents, it is a necessary action so that winter operations can precede efficiently delivering services to all residents. 

VEHICLES PARKED ON ANY PUBLIC STREET DURING A SNOW EMERGENCY ARE SUBJECT TO TOWING

For the convenience of City of Lowell residents, The City of Lowell Parking Department has designated two of the City’s parking garages, THE AYOTTE GARAGE ( NEXT TO THE TSONGAS ARENA) & THE JAM GARAGE ON ( MIDDLESEX AND JACKSON STREETS)  to be open for FREE during a snow emergency in order to help get cars off city Streets.

PLEASE NOTE, EVENT RELATED PARKING WILL BE SUBJECT TO
OUR SPECIAL EVENTS RATES

AFTER THE STORM

Once the storm has ended, all secondary and small roads and dead-end streets will be cleared. The entire city will receive "another pass" to insure the roads are in a satisfactory condition. Salt and sand will be used to treat icy spots and packed snow. At this point, the focus shifts entirely to sidewalks and snow removal.

SIDEWALKS

Residents are required, by ordinance, to clear snow from their adjacent sidewalks within twenty-four hours of a snow event.  The City does clear two one and one half mile routes to and from each public school.  The city has several pieces of sidewalk equipment; it typically takes 1 to 2 days to completely clear these sidewalks. In some areas, it may not be possible to completely clear the walks until snow is removed from the street.

SNOW REMOVAL

The City does not have a policy of hauling snow after each and every storm.  However, it is advisable to collect snow off certain streets whenever possible.  Concentration will be given to the streets located in the immediate downtown where parking, traffic volume and speed, intersections, and parking lots require attention.  Intersections and turn around areas elsewhere will be done on an as needed basis.  Hauled snow will be dumped at a suitable and acceptable location as determined by the LDPW Commissioner.

COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

Complaints will be recorded on telephone logs.  Calls requiring service will be transferred onto a work request form and forwarded to the appropriate supervisor for scheduling.  Emergency complaints will be handled in an expeditious manner with resources available.