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Print | YORK REGION>Publications>News>2004 |
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December 21, 2004 |
York Region winter maintenance program underway
NEWMARKET – With today marking the first day of winter, the Regional Municipality of York reminds residents that the Region's Winter Maintenance program is operating at full capacity, with road crews removing snow and salting to keep roads clear.
York Region's Transportation and Works department is responsible for the maintenance of over 1,000 kilometres of arterial roadways, including snow removal, sanding and salting. Overnight low temperatures prompted crews to begin salting in early November. Recent snowfall has snow removal efforts in full force.
As part of its Winter Maintenance program, the Region has also adopted:
• The use of a salt-brine solution before snowfalls to keep roads from icing, as well as reducing environmentally-harmful salt use.
• The use of a salt-brine solution before snowfalls to keep roads from icing, as well as reducing environmentally-harmful salt use.
• A "bare pavement" policy to clear roads to a bare pavement condition as soon as reasonably possible following storm conditions, using available resources.
• A Road Weather Information System (RWIS), consisting of five weather stations in key parts of the Region, to update temperature, pavement condition, salt concentration and precipitation.
• A Global Positioning System (GPS) to monitor road coverage by vehicles and track the application rate of both salt and sand.
• Drive-through salt and sand storage sheds to reduce the amount of these materials exposed to the environment.
• Spreader controls on vehicles to more precisely spread both sand and salt.
York Region's Roads Transportation Branch encourages everyone to take extra care during winter driving conditions and to help road clearing efforts by slowing down and driving cautiously around winter maintenance vehicles.
For more information on The Regional Municipality of York, the services we offer and links to our nine area municipalities, please visit our Web site at: www.york.ca. For facts on winter maintenance, please see the attached Fact Sheet.
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York Region is pleased to entertain media requests for snow plow ride-alongs, depot tours and tours of traffic facilities. To arrange for a ride-along or tour, please contact Corporate Communications Services.
York Region is pleased to entertain media requests for snow plow ride-alongs, depot tours and tours of traffic facilities. To arrange for a ride-along or tour, please contact Corporate Communications Services.
Media Contact: Michael Kemp, Corporate Communications, York Region
- (905) 830-4444 ext. 1232 or e-mail: michael.kemp@york.ca
- (905) 830-4444 ext. 1232 or e-mail: michael.kemp@york.ca
Fact Sheet
Winter Maintenance numbers
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Number of vehicles for winter maintenance |
63 |
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Average time for salt or sand spreading (one round) |
81 minutes |
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Average time for plowing and salting/sanding (one round) |
116 minutes |
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Average amount of salt used (one round) |
306 tonnes |
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Kilometres of Regional Roads |
1,000 + km |
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Lane kilometres of Regional Roads |
3,284 km |
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Cost of salt per tonne |
$58.19 |
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Cost of salt (one round) |
$17,803 |
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Cost of salt-brine (one round) |
$9,105 |
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Cost of one round of salting (includes equipment and labour) |
$40,193 |
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Cost of one round of plowing (includes one round of salting, equip. & labour) |
$41,816 |
York Region's Roads Transportation Branch encourages everyone to take extra care during winter driving conditions and to help road clearing efforts by slowing down and driving cautiously around winter maintenance vehicles.
Contact: Michael Kemp, Corporate Communications, York Region
- (905) 830-4444 or 1-877-464-9675, ext. 1232
- Email: Michael.kemp@york.ca
