Simply waiting for warm weather to melt packed snow on residential streets is not “acceptable,” the head of Vancouver’s engineering department admitted yesterday as he announced a review of the city’s snow response.
General manager of engineering services Tom Timm said this winter has been the longest period of cold, freezing weather and heavy snow accumulation in his 31 years with the city. More than 100 centimetres of snow fell in five weeks.
Timm said the city is reviewing its snow procedures ahead of the 2010 Olympics.
“We have tried to plow streets in the past … we found out that we were very ineffective,” Timm said.
The city, he said, will look at getting four-wheel-drive plows and more graders. They will also look at implementing a bylaw that requires homeowners to clear their walks.
