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City's snow removal plan isn't cutting it, councillor argues with proposal for residential program

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A proposed “full-service” residential snow removal pilot program could include crews shovelling private sidewalks in front of homes, clearing windrows from the bottom of driveways and removing snow from roads, said Coun. Aaron Paquette.

It’s time for a shift in the city’s current snow strategy, said Paquette, calling for change in the wake of growing concerns from residents following each snowfall.

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“We’ve had residents who have been unable to get around or slipped or hurt themselves or any number of issues, getting stuck in the snow. So it’s been frustrating for a lot of folks and for good reason,” Paquette said in an interview with Postmedia Tuesday. “The way we (cleared snow) in the past may not work with the way winters are now and also the way we did it for a city of half a million people is not the way we can do it for a city of a million people.”

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In making a notice of motion last Friday, Paquette is seeking council’s support for city staff to look at what a residential snow clearing program could look like and pilot the service in a wide range of neighbourhoods across the city. The current process focuses on clearing main arterial roads after a major snowfall, but Paquette said this means residential roads are left to the side until there is a significant break in snowfalls.

A delay in residential snow maintenance happened just last week after a major snowfall forced a pause in the city’s first blading cycle of the winter, which is continuing this week.

“Every time it snows, the residential doesn’t get done and so it’s gotten worse and worse,” he said. “Let’s understand what the problems and challenges are today and the ones that are coming and get ahead of it.”

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The issue is not that city crews and contractors aren’t out on the streets working to clear the roads, Paquette said in giving credit to their hard work throughout the winter, but the current method just isn’t cutting it. Although this type of program could be pricey, Paquette said he wants to know exactly what the costs are and if the positive impacts to residents supersede the dollar value.

“We can see what works, what doesn’t work, what the costs are, what the benefits are to the community and how it changes their experience of winter in Edmonton,” Paquette said of the proposed pilot. “If the benefits outweigh the costs for the community, that’s what we want.”

Council is set to vote on Paquette’s proposal March 9 but will get the chance to sound off Wednesday since they are expected to hear an update on the snow removal program so far this winter.

“Administration is providing council a mid-season update on snow and ice activities and challenges this winter,” said city spokesman Zak Fairbrother on the late city council agenda addition.

duscook@postmedia.com

twitter.com/dustin_cook3

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