BDCL received this piece from Ben Henderson's office today. Ben is the Councillor for our ward.
I hope you enjoy winter as much as I do. There are challenges, however, along with the fun the season
brings. From shovelling our sidewalks to clearing rogue icicles, Edmontonians are masters at snow and ice
clearance. Likewise, the City of Edmonton works hard to clear roads as efficiently as possible, and we are
always looking for new ways to help our citizens travel safely all winter long.
Some of you have contacted me, wondering why snow clearance was starting before there was much
build-up on the ground. This past spring the City started an anti-icing pilot project to test out a new
calcium chloride solution. When applied in a thin layer to roadways both before and during a snow
event, the solution helps prevent the snow from sticking to the road, keeping the road clear longer and
making it easier to plow.
There are a number of benefits to this new technique. First, it reduces the need for plowing and sanding,
which saves the City money and allows us to better manage snow removal city wide. A decrease in
plowing also means less wear and tear on our streets, resulting in fewer potholes and longer lasting
roadways. The product is also safer for the environment than traditional salt, since it can be used in
smaller amounts.
The pilot program continues this winter – this solution will be applied to 3000 km of roadways and bike
lanes throughout the city, which amounts to around 40 per cent of our arterial and collector roadways.
Our success last winter proved that this product is effective, so now our crews will focus on figuring out
best practices for application timing, getting more roadway employees trained to use the solution
effectively, and measuring the environmental impact.
If you have questions or comments about snow removal, please email City Services at [email protected],
or by telephoning 311.
Please feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected] or at 780-496- 8146. Follow me on Twitter @ben_hen.
Ben Henderson, Councillor, Ward 8
I hope you enjoy winter as much as I do. There are challenges, however, along with the fun the season
brings. From shovelling our sidewalks to clearing rogue icicles, Edmontonians are masters at snow and ice
clearance. Likewise, the City of Edmonton works hard to clear roads as efficiently as possible, and we are
always looking for new ways to help our citizens travel safely all winter long.
Some of you have contacted me, wondering why snow clearance was starting before there was much
build-up on the ground. This past spring the City started an anti-icing pilot project to test out a new
calcium chloride solution. When applied in a thin layer to roadways both before and during a snow
event, the solution helps prevent the snow from sticking to the road, keeping the road clear longer and
making it easier to plow.
There are a number of benefits to this new technique. First, it reduces the need for plowing and sanding,
which saves the City money and allows us to better manage snow removal city wide. A decrease in
plowing also means less wear and tear on our streets, resulting in fewer potholes and longer lasting
roadways. The product is also safer for the environment than traditional salt, since it can be used in
smaller amounts.
The pilot program continues this winter – this solution will be applied to 3000 km of roadways and bike
lanes throughout the city, which amounts to around 40 per cent of our arterial and collector roadways.
Our success last winter proved that this product is effective, so now our crews will focus on figuring out
best practices for application timing, getting more roadway employees trained to use the solution
effectively, and measuring the environmental impact.
If you have questions or comments about snow removal, please email City Services at [email protected],
or by telephoning 311.
Please feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected] or at 780-496- 8146. Follow me on Twitter @ben_hen.
Ben Henderson, Councillor, Ward 8
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