Lincoln, ON (November 9, 2022) - The Farmer’s Almanac predicts a cold and snowy winter this 2022/2023 season. In preparation for the inevitable winter weather, the Town of Lincoln Public Works department is completing training in the classroom, getting trucks serviced and on the roads, and giving them a test drive while the roads are still clear.
Did you know that the Town’s winter maintenance crew maintains 300 km of roadway and operates the following during the winter season?
- 9 Dump trucks with plows and sanders on 9 routes
- 3 Backhoes with blades and buckets
- 2 Sidewalk tractors with blades, salters, brooms, and snowblowers for various conditions
- 1 Heavy-duty pickup with a plow and sander
- 1 Dump truck outfitted with a spray unit for ani-icing application before major accumulation occurs.
- 1 Loader
Reminders for Residents
As the winter season is upon us, here are a few reminders of our collective approach to tackling safe snow removal in the Town of Lincoln.
Keep It Clear
The Town is committed to improving safe passage for residents, visitors and businesses and ensuring roadways are passable for emergency response vehicles. During the winter season, the Town enacts Keep It Clear to assist with snow removal efforts by the Town. Parking on the street during a winter storm can make it difficult or near impossible to plow a road.
- During a snow event, Keep It Clear requires no parking on streets for approximately 72 hours to assist with snow removal.
- Keep It Clear will be activated based on an assessment of forecasted weather and local observations including temperature, wind and road conditions.
- The Town will declare a Keep it Clear event and announce it on its website, social media channels, and through media channels.
- Parking on the road during a Keep it Clear event is prohibited and subject to a $75.00 ticket if you do not remove vehicles from the road during a declared Keep it Clear event. If found to impede snow removal operations continually, it could result in your vehicle being towed at the owner’s expense.
- It is the property owner’s responsibility to find suitable parking for tenants who regularly use street parking.
- Parking is not permitted on, across, or over any sidewalks.
Level of Service - Sidewalk Clearing
Starting in November 2022, the Town will be clearing all Town owned sidewalks.
The level of service/clearing provided for each sidewalk is determined based on balancing each sidewalk's level of usage, availability of alternative routes, and service needs.
Now, there are two levels:
Primary
- Staff will aim to start service when accumulation exceeds 5cm, but service may not start until accumulation exceeds 8cm.
- The route will be completed within 48 hrs of the end of snowfall - Significant Winter Events will result in longer response times.
- Salt application and plowing as required.
- Staff will aim to maintain continuity during an event.
- Salt may address accumulation below 5cm when deemed required.
- If the depth of snow accumulation exceeds our targets while snow continues accumulating, residents may notice that the snow depths exceed 8cm, but the Town is working to maintain routes as it is safe to do so.
Secondary
- Aim to be cleared within 48hrs after an event's end and meets or exceeds 8cm. Significant Winter Events will result in longer response times.
- Salted or/or plowed as required.
| Sidewalk Type | When does the Town aim to start salting? | How much snow is that? | When does the Town aim to start plowing? | How much snow is that? | How many hours after the snow stops falling does it take to clear an average storm? |
| Primary | When deemed necessary. | N/A | 5 cm | A house key. | It can be up to 48 hours. Under significant snow events, this duration could be extended. Notification of a significant snow event will be made on social media. |
| Secondary | When deemed necessary. | N/A | 8 cm | A bank card. | It can be up to 48 hours. Under significant snow events, this duration could be extended. Notification of a significant snow event will be made on social media. |
Please Note:
Our equipment cannot clear sidewalks if vehicles or objects are blocking or overhanging. We ask all residents to ensure that their cars are parked within their driveway and not overhanging on the sidewalks or roads during our Winter operations. This helps our crews clear the streets and sidewalks the fastest way possible to keep our residents safe and able to move around Town.
Many hands make for light work in the Town of Lincoln
We understand that the collective community has mixed emotions about the winter season and that significant snow accumulation brings various challenges. Still, we encourage residents and business owners to work together to ensure a successful and safe clearing of the roads in the Town of Lincoln. We ask that the community be patient as we work through clearing the roads and sidewalks in the Town; we appreciate that they are vital arteries in ensuring the completion of daily responsibilities. When able, please be a good neighbour, pitch in and help shovel snow, take care of yourself, and break as needed; clearing snow is physically demanding.
Lastly, our winter maintenance crews are responsible for being available 24 hours a day and are committed to ensuring that the roads are clear and safe for our community; often they are required to work at all hours of the day and night to serve our community proudly. Let’s work together and commit to activating the Town of Lincoln’s Snow Squad in our collective approach to keeping our community safe and roads clear during the winter season.
Learn more about Winter Maintenance in #LincolnON
Learn more about the Winter Sidewalk Maintenance Program
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Liliana Busnello
Manager of Corporate Communications
Town of Lincoln
Direct: 905-563-2799 ext. 230
Tel: 905-563-8205