Snow Removal and On-Street Parking

Equipment | On-Street Parking | Safety | FAQ | Sidewalks

Overview
The City's goal regarding snow removal is to provide timely access for safety vehicles into City residences in the event of severe weather. To accomplish this, we need everyone's assistance and cooperation.

The City of Cedar Hills maintains approximately 28 miles of roads, public trails, and government building parking lots. These areas are maintained for snow removal, ice control, and salting by the Public Works Department from November 1 to March 31. Service is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After-hours staff is limited, unless a snow emergency is declared. The City staff is committed to provide safe conditions for City residents.

The City's policy regarding snowplowing is that streets will be cleared according to priority beginning when the street has accumulated a minimum of two inches of snow and continuing until driving conditions are considered adequately safe. Streets receive a higher priority according to volume of traffic, location near schools or public buildings, and steepness of grade, etc. Typically, low-volume streets and cul-de-sacs remain the last to be plowed.

Equipment and Materials Used by the City

• Backhoe with plow blade
• Two bobtail dump trucks with plows
• Trucks of various sizes: a one-ton truck with sander and blade and a six-wheel truck with blade.
• Salt mixture. (The City does not use cinders.)

Street Parking Is Restricted from November 1 to the Following March 31

• So as to provide access to snow plows for snow removal, it is unlawful for any person to park or allow to remain parked any vehicle upon streets from November 1 to the following March 31 upon said streets when: 1) snow is falling; or 2) there is a visible amount of snow on the street; and 3) the street has not been plowed since the snow fell (City Code 5-2-5: Parking Regulations).
  
• Exceptions to these requirements include the following: 1) the temporary parking of vehicles for a reasonably short period of time, not to exceed twelve (12) hours, to accommodate loading or unloading or the performance of service; 2) construction, contracting or earth-moving equipment that is otherwise classified as commercial vehicles may be temporarily parked on streets, provided the vehicles are actively being used for construction activities on the specific property where the vehicles are being parked; 3) emergency vehicles (City Code 5-2-5: Parking Regulations).
  
• Street parking is prohibited at any time when there are two inches or more of snow accumulation on the streets until the streets are cleared. Please refrain from parking on streets whenever snow or ice conditions may require plowing.

Impounding and Removing Vehicles

• While the City of Cedar Hills does not have a policy of impounding vehicles, if a snow emergency is in effect and/or a vehicle is in violation of the ordinance, your vehicle may be ticketed and turned over to the police for further action.
  
• When any police officer finds a vehicle standing upon a City street, such officer is authorized to require the driver or other person in charge of the vehicle to remove the vehicle to a position in compliance with the ordinance. When any police officer finds a vehicle unattended upon any street or City-owned parking lot in violation of any parking regulation, such officer is authorized to ticket the vehicle and request further action if not removed within the designated time frame. If removal is necessary and/or a charge is placed against the vehicle for cost of removal or storage by anyone called upon to assist with removal, it shall be paid prior to removal from such place of storage or safekeeping.

Placing Snow in Roadway

• Please refrain from removing snow or ice from individual private property and placing it in the roadway of any street or private road. This makes it difficult to keep roads cleared, and doing so creates dangerous conditions for all motor vehicles.

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Snow Plow Safety

• Drive slowly, pass plows only with extreme caution, and never drive into a snow plow's cloud.
• Snow plows often use wing plows extending off to either side to clear more snow quicker. Never pass a snow plow by driving on the shoulder, and be very careful while passing a plow in the left lane of a multi-lane highway. Give plow blades plenty of room along the center line of the roadway.
• Snow plows frequently stop and back up. If you are driving bumper to bumper, you are probably in the snow plow's blind spot—an accident just waiting to happen. Give snow plows plenty of room to work in every direction.
• Driving into the cloud that a snow plow kicks up can instantly blind you, creating a total “whiteout.” Be very careful around snow plows.
• Do not allow children to play on or near the street when snow plowing is in progress.

The City of Cedar Hills would like to thank the City of Orono, Minnesota, for allowing us use of their Web site and snowplow guidelines.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. How does the City's street snow removal program work?
A. Cedar Hills' snow removal program is designed to help keep the City's roadways as safe and accessible as possible both during and after snowstorms. A snow removal operation will run continuously until the roads are safe for travel. Since safety is the first priority, school zones and main roadways are plowed first. After these areas are clean, streets are plowed according to steepness of grade, subdivision streets, cul-de-sacs, and then dead-end streets. If the storm is continuous and heavy, the plows will continue to open the main roadways and school zones as necessary, returning to the lower priority streets when possible.

Q. Are sidewalks plowed by the City?
A. Residents are responsible to clear snow and ice from the sidewalks adjacent to their own properties. This should be done as soon as possible after a storm to allow the sunshine to melt the ice from the sidewalk. Leaving snow on sidewalks to freeze during the night makes it more difficult to remove the ice and creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians. Certain home owner associations may offer sidewalk snow removal. Check with your individual HOA (if applicable) regarding snow removal in your area.

Q. Can I park my vehicle on the street during the winter season?
A. Cedar Hills City code prohibits parking on streets at any time when snow is falling, when there is a visible amount of snow on the street, or when the street has not been plowed since the snow fell. As always, parking of over-sized vehicles such as trailers, busses, recreational vehicles, etc. is strictly prohibited. Parking on the street after a snowstorm makes it difficult for snowplows to clear the streets and causes hazardous driving conditions for other vehicles attempting to maneuver through the deep snow. Vehicles left on the street during snowstorms will be ticketed and/or towed.

Q. The snowplows push snow into my freshly cleared driveway. Isn't there a better way to clear the streets to show some consideration to City residents?
A. Unfortunately, there isn't a better way to clear streets. The snow has to go somewhere, and to make our roads safe, that “somewhere” is the side of the road. Snowplow blades are designed to push snow to the side of the road. Homeowners are asked to wait until the street is cleared prior to cleaning out the drive approach, when possible. Just a reminder that it is illegal to throw or push snow into any street. This can make the road more dangerous for cars and snowplows. You are encouraged to move the snow onto your own property.

Q. Which roads are not plowed by the City?

• County roads are plowed by the County.
• Private roads are to be maintained by the homeowner association or a private entity. (If you have questions regarding whether your street is public or private, contact your HOA or the City.)
• State roads are plowed by UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation).

Q. When do plowing and/or salting commence?

• Snowfall accumulation of two inches or more, or if conditions warrant.
• Accumulation of drifting snow.
• Ice and/or freezing rain that affect road conditions.

Once any of these conditions exist, the goal is to have all main roadways plowed within four hours. Intersection cleanup and the plowing back of snow banks occur as needed. Normally, plow operators will begin plowing at 5:00 a.m. to have the major streets plowed before the morning rush hour. If conditions warrant, plow operators may begin to remove snow before 5:00 a.m. Plowing operations will be suspended when high winds causing whiteout conditions jeopardize the safety of the snow plow operators and/or the public.

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