Snowy Streets 101: Yorkton Snow Clearing Guide
Winter has arrived, and with it comes the beauty of snow-covered landscapes. However, as the City of Yorkton transforms into a winter wonderland, it's essential to ensure that our streets remain safe and accessible for all residents. That's where our dedicated snow-clearing team steps in, and we're excited to help you understand and appreciate our city's snow-clearing processes.
The big picture: Yorkton has 172 KM of roads to plow when the snow falls, this is the same distance from Yorkton to Regina.
Snow Clearing priority in brief:
- Highways & main roads. (2 inches) 1st Priority Map
- Collector streets. (2 inches) 2nd Priority Map
- Residential streets by zones that are followed according to curbside pickup. (4 inches) Residential Map
- Back lanes - Only those used for primary access to properties. (6 inches)
For more details about the city's snow clearing, check our snow policy.
Residential snow clearing
After clearing priority streets, our city employees focus on residential streets, following a zone-based schedule, coordinated with curbside pickup.
Snow route parking ban
The big picture: The city has established two primary snow removal route areas
- The Blue Routes: Encompass the downtown business district
- The Red Routes: Cover the main arterial streets citywide
The parking ban is in force for 72 hours. Blue area is in force from 11 P.M. to 7 A.M.
Note: Failure to relocate vehicles during a snow route ban may result in fines & towing.
Rubber-coated driveways
Some residents in Yorkton have rubber-coated or rubber-resurfaced driveways. These surfaces can be damaged by regular winter maintenance equipment because rubber is more flexible than traditional asphalt or concrete.
To help protect your property during snow removal operations:
- Crews may leave a small buffer of snow at the edge of rubber driveways to avoid gouging, tearing, or lifting the rubber surface.
- If you have a rubber driveway, please place a reflective marker at the end of your driveway so crews can clearly identify the surface type when visibility is low.
- Use only rubber-edged or plastic shovels on rubber driveways. Metal ice scrapers and metal-bladed shovels can damage the surface.
- Residents are responsible for maintaining and protecting rubber-coated driveway surfaces. The City is not responsible for damage to rubber or non-traditional driveway materials caused during normal winter operations.
This small step helps keep your driveway safe and allows crews to clear streets more efficiently and safely.
Snow-clearing routes in real-time
Sign up for the City's Voyent Alert Emergency Notification App to receive personalized, real-time alerts about the snow-clearing routes. It's free, anonymous, and in the palm of your hand.
Why Voyent Alert?
- Reliable alerts during emergencies (fires, floods, severe weather, traffic accidents).
- Notifications about daily city services (snow removal, water advisories).
- Stay informed about what matters to you, in the way you prefer.
- Smart alert capabilities ensure that you will only get notified when a communication is relevant to you or one of the locations you are tracking.
FAQs
-
Snow FAQs
- Who is responsible for clearing sidewalks located in proximity to schools or within school zones?
- What is the rationale behind the City’s decision not to undertake hauling snow from residential streets?
- What is the City’s policy regarding the clearing of sidewalks, and why are not all sidewalks cleared?
- What are the reasons behind the City’s decision not to employ signage to provide residents with a 24-hour notice before street cleaning operations?
- Why does the City hire contractors for snow removal, particularly considering the presence of new infrastructure? Shouldn’t the City have sufficient equipment and manpower to independently manage snow removal operations?
- What is the rationale behind the City’s decision to conduct residential street cleaning operations during nighttime hours?
- How do I avoid possible damage to my property from snow plows?
- Why are some of the pathways cleared before the main streets?
- What is the City’s strategy for deploying snow fences to mitigate the drifting of snow onto the streets, and are there plans to increase their usage?
- Despite my efforts to maintain a clear sidewalk around my property, I have observed that the City’s snow plows deposit snow onto it after I’ve cleaned it. Could you please explain the reasoning behind this practice?
- Following the City’s street plowing, I’ve encountered a substantial ridge in my driveway. Is there a protocol in place for the City to address and clear such ridges?
- I have observed that intersections remain unsanded despite my arrival to work. Could you please elucidate the method employed for determining the prioritization of sanding locations?
- Are all back lanes cleared after every snow fall? How do you determine which areas are a priority?
- To whom does the responsibility for maintaining cleanliness on the sidewalks in front of businesses fall?
- What is the rationale behind the City depositing snow onto my lawn, and what measures are taken to minimize its impact on the lawn’s condition?
- Why does my small local street always seem to be the last street to get plowed?
- Who is responsible for clearing snow at the intersections of Highway 9 and Broadway, as well as Highway 9 and York Road? is it the jurisdiction of the City or the Highways department?
- What is the rationale behind the limited application of sanding and salting on sidewalks, and what factors dictate their usage?
- Who is responsible for the maintenance of pedestrian pathways, and who oversees the upkeep of sidewalks?
- What specific rules decide when to use snow hauling instead of plowing high snowbanks on residential streets?
- How can I help prevent street flooding from melting ice and snow?
-
Bylaw Fast Facts - Snow
-
Rubber Driveways
