City gears up for snow season with similar priorities and new initiatives

Calgarians can expect similar priorities for this snow season as in previous years, but some new initiatives will be in place throughout the winter.

Ahead of an expected temperature drop that will bring cooler weather and snow to Calgary early next week, the city announced its plans for snow removal and improved mobility for residents.

The city has increased its equipment and now has 101 sanding trucks and 27 graders for this season. As well, it has around $31 million remaining from a total of $54 million in this year's snow budget.

Chris Hewitt, the city's manager of mobility maintenance, said crews will continue to use the existing system that focuses on clearing Priority 1 routes such as Crowchild Trail and Glenmore Trail during the first 18 hours after snow stops falling.

The city will launch a new pilot program for northwest Calgary, where it will focus on more of the Priority 2 routes, including those that have bus routes.

"We're going to use smaller equipment and have more of it out on the road," Hewitt said.

"We want to try to keep those Priority 2 routes moving a little better, concurrently with everything else," he said.

Along with that trial, there will be newly added lights to snow removal vehicles to boost safety. 

The city is also increasing how much of its nearly 1,000 kilometres of pathways it will clear — going from 600 kilometres last year to 750 kilometres this time around.

Each year, the city has gradually increased how much it clears, adding between 30 and 50 kilometres at a time. With this year's additional distance, Hewitt said almost all of the pathway network can be cleared.

He added that with internal changes at the city, a more of a co-ordinated response for snow clearing around Calgary is also anticipated, leading to better travel for commuters and pedestrians.

"We're expecting a much smoother transition from one travel mode to the next," he said. "That's a real priority this year."