Page 4 - Overview Winter 2018

2,000 lane miles, 50 snow plows on in OP
Regardless of what the Farmer’s Almanac says or local weather prognosticators predict, Overland Park snow crews are ready.
For the city’s Public Works Department, snow and ice control means clearing the way on some 2,000 lane miles of roads and about 1,000 cul-de-sacs. During a typical snow operation, there are about 50 snow plows working around the clock in two 12-hour shifts.
Drivers, mechanics and dispatchers involved in the program include staff members from not only the Public Works Department but also Parks, Fire, Police and Planning.
To augment their efforts, when needed, the city also
employs private contractors.
Overland Park treats and clears its streets based on a priority system.
While the city does not officially designate snow emergency routes, it does give its arterial road system highest priority in much the same manner. Multilane arterial roads serve as the city’s primary travel means across and within its borders. The city’s second and third priorities are collector and residential streets. While the general rule of thumb during an average snow operation is to get arterial roads cleared to bare pavement, the second and third priorities will usually be plowed clear, whenever possible.
We are full of salt, all in time for winter
We are up to our rafters in salt.
Yep, city storage barns are full of 14,000 tons of salt ready for use this winter season.
Last snow season, a little over 9,000 tons of salt was placed on Overland Park’s more than 2,000 lane miles of roadways. While city trucks can plow snow it takes road salt to keep ice off of streets. Salt use is tied to the type of winter precipitation not necessarily the amount of snow that falls.
Last year, for example, the city recorded only 5 inches of snow with with biggest event amounting to just over two inches.
This is well below the typical season of about 20 inches. Even a slight amount of ice causes slippery driving conditions, resulting in unwanted vehicle accidents. Crews apply salt to ensure safer driving conditions for all motorists.
What can you do to assist snow operations?
A standard plow blade is 11-feet in length. If you can park your car on your driveway rather than the street, it helps snow plow drivers navigate residential roadways. Cars
parked on both sides of a neighborhood street truly
create a narrow pathway and may slow operations.
Each season there are a handful of streets that don’t get treated right away because the big trucks are unable to safely maneuver past cars parked on the neighborhood street. Overland Park will attempt to notify residents, time permitting, and ask if cars can be moved to allow for treatment.
Training of snow plow drivers began in September, including mounting front and side plow blades, understanding the onboard digital “automatic vehicle locator” that tracks each city truck and assists supervisors observing the progress of an operation.
Several new drivers have joined the Overland Park team due to staff turnover. Overland Park, like many other government agencies and private employers, is working to address the shortage of available workers.
Low unemployment and a competitive job market is proving to be a challenge. To address it, Overland Park started offering in September a $2,000 bonus to attract new Public Works maintenance workers, whose job includes operating snow plows, repairing streets and sidewalks, maintaining traffic control services, and more. In order to qualify, a new employee will receive $1,000 after the first six months of work, and the other half after a year of full-time employment.
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