It’s snow joke: time to adjust to winter

With the first sign of snow this week, the City of Vernon is reminding residents about adjusting to winter conditions.

That includes the clearing of sidewalks, which if adjacent to residential and commercial properties, is the responsibility of the resident or tenant.

“When shoveling sidewalks and driveways, please do not pile snow on travel lanes, storm drains, fire hydrants or bus pickup/drop-off areas, as these create issues for travel and safety concerns for the community,” said Christy Poirier, Manager of Communications and Grants.

Poirier says sidewalks and walkways maintained by the city are cleared on a priority basis in compliance with the snow and ice control policy.

The city is also clarifiying the priorities for road clearing after snow events, which start with the main arterial and collector roads, bus routes and school zones, and eventually getting into neighborhoods.

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“Depending on the volume and duration of the snow event, response times will vary to allow work crews the appropriate time to respond. Based on the forecasted snowfall, it may be 12 – 36 hours after the end of the snow event before local roads are addressed,” said Poirier.

The city is also using the first snowfall of the season to remind motorists to adjust their driving habits.

“Just as we heard from our Active Transportation team, ICBC and the RCMP last week, the days are getting shorter and the sun is setting earlier,” said Poirier. “Mixing this with wet or slippery road conditions means all of us need to pay even more attention as we are moving about the city from point A to point B.”

Poirier says it’s also important for motorists to keep a safe distance with the vehicle in front of you, and reduce your speed, to be able to stop safely when necessary.