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12 <br />SNOWPLOWING FAQ <br />Q. What kind of equipment does the city use for <br />snowplowing? <br />A. Currently the City of Ramsey has the following equipment: <br />2 motor graders <br />4 single axle trucks equipped with front plows, winds <br />and sanders <br />Q. <br />A. <br />1 front -end loader equipped with a front plow and wing <br />7 pick -up trucks with plows (used mainly on cul-de- <br />sacs and parking lots) <br />This equipment is used to clear approximately: <br />150 miles of road <br />240 cul -de -sacs <br />720 intersections and numerous parking lots, ice skating rinks, <br />and trails <br />Public works staff members are on call 24 hours per day, 7 <br />days a week to make City of Ramsey roads as safe as <br />possible. <br />How does public works determine when to start plowing? <br />The City contracts with a private weather service to give us <br />frequent forecasts during snowstorms. This service combined <br />with Internet websites, MnDOT forecasts, and local TV/ <br />radio information all help us plan for the approaching storm. <br />Two inches of snow is our normal trigger point, but may vary <br />due to conditions. Ideally, we as a department prefer to <br />start at 2:00 a.m. The reason being the roads are clear of <br />most cars and pedestrians at that time of the morning and <br />crews can work without much interference. This plan works <br />well if the snow total ends up in the 2 "- 4" range. In larger <br />snowfall events we keep trucks out clearing " main" routes <br />so emergency services can respond. In very large snow <br />events, staff will post public works plow equipment and <br />personnel with the fire department to help them respond to <br />emergencies should they arrive. Our main objective is to <br />have as many roads as possible open for the morning <br />commute and then clean up the streets when the majority of <br />residents are at work or school. If we start at 2:00 a.m. we <br />are normally done with the main roads within 8 hours, with <br />cul -de -sacs taking up to 10 hours to complete. <br />Q. What does the City of Ramsey use to control ice and <br />snow on our roads? <br />A. At this time the City of Ramsey uses a salt/sand mixture and <br />straight salt. A salt/sand mixture is used mainly on residential <br />roads because ofthe relatively low volume of traffic and lower <br />Q. <br />A. <br />Q. <br />A. <br />Dreams that do come true can be as unsettling as those that don 't. - Brett Butler <br />speeds. Sand is a short -term fix at best. It is <br />best used in very cold weather to provide <br />temporary traction. It has no real melting <br />properties and depending on the amount of traffic, <br />the sand will be embedded in to the snow or blown <br />to the edge of the road by passing traffic. The <br />trend in de -icing today is away from using sand. <br />Some reasons for this trend are air -borne <br />pollution, and cleanup costs associated with sand. <br />Salt is a good de -icing agent because it is relatively <br />cheap and in large supply. One of the drawbacks <br />of salt is it starts to lose its effectiveness at about <br />15 degrees. Environmental issues can also arise <br />if salt is not applied properly. <br />Public works staff will be testing several different <br />chemicals this winter to see if they can help clear <br />our roads and lower our use of salt and salt /sand. <br />Distributors of these chemicals claim they can cut <br />salt use by as much as 30 %. This testing will be <br />done on several problem areas where heavy tree <br />cover keeps the sun from reaching the pavement <br />most of the winter. The lack of sun results in a <br />buildup of ice that requires constant applications <br />of sand or salt to control. <br />Why doesn't the large plow truck clear my <br />cul -de -sac? <br />The large plow equipment is not designed to work <br />in smaller areas. The job of the large equipment <br />is to clear the roads. Safety is one of the main <br />concerns. A large amount of backing up, in a <br />fairly small area, is required to clear a cul -de- <br />sac. The large trucks have poor visibility to the <br />rear, so we try avoiding using them in cul -de -sacs. <br />Efficiency is also an issue. The large truck can <br />clear 5 -6 blocks of main roadway in about the <br />same amount of time it would take the driver to <br />clear one cul -de -sac. <br />Why should I stake the curb /boulevard near <br />my home? <br />Staking the boulevard helps the plow driver <br />visualize the edge ofthe road. In a heavy snowfall <br />sometimes the driver can not see where the road <br />bends or the exact location of the comer. The <br />Public Works department distributes wooden <br />Continued on Page 13 <br />