Important Reminders to Residents :

• No parking on streets during snow storm
• No shoveling snow from driveways and walkways into streets
• Please clear fire hydrants adjacent to your property

With the arrival of winter the Chelmsford Department of Public Works wants to remind residents of the seriousness of snow and ice conditions. Jim Pearson, Director of Public
Works, John Long, Highway Superintendent, and the entire DPW staff ask for the cooperation of all residents in making snow removal as quick and safe as possible. With over 220 miles of roads to sand and plow, the DPW requests your cooperation and understanding.

It is important to note that if a snowstorm is serious enough to warrant sanding or plowing, then the roads are likely to be slippery and motorists should not be out driving unless their trip is absolutely necessary. If people must drive, extreme caution should be used.

The primary goal of the DPW during a storm is to maintain passable roads so that emergency crews (police, fire and ambulance) have access to each property. The secondary goal is to treat the icy surface and/or push the snow aside for the safe passage of the general public's use of the roadways.

There are several variables which affect how we deal with a storm. These include:
air temperatures before, during and after the storm event, time of day, day of week, forecast, and duration of storm.

SANDING

Generally with an accumulation of 1-inch we send out our nine town-owned sanders. We rely on a private weather forecasting service, a weather satellite, radio reports, TV weather reports, Internet sites, and also the local Police Department night shift officers to advise us of local icy road conditions. The Town is divided into nine sanding routes and each driver is issued a map of his assigned route. Main arterial roads, collector roads, and hilly areas are given priority. The Highway Division superintendent and foreman directly supervise the overall operations and also respond to isolated problem areas. As usual a stockpile of sand/salt mixture is available to town residents. This stockpile is maintained at the parking lot at the intersection of Old Westford Road and Graniteville Road.

PLOWING

If a storm results in an accumulation of 3 or more inches, the plows are dispatched. The Town is divided into 30 plow routes. These plow routes are serviced by 22 Town-owned vehicles and 42 contracted vehicles. Each driver is issued a map of their assigned route and is responsible for adequately clearing that route.

Initially, the plows make passes in both directions starting at the centerline of the roadway. This phase "opens up" the center of the street for adequate passage of emergency and other vehicles. Residential streets are plowed with collector streets and hilly terrain given priority where possible. Shorter streets, dead ends, and remotely located streets are addressed last. Tandem plowing is done on main arterial routes for improved emergency response access. After all the streets in the route are "opened up", the plows return to the streets to push the snow back beyond the gutterline. This phase opens the street for normal traffic operations, clears the drains for rain and snowmelt and makes room for additional accumulations of snow.

One of the biggest challenges facing the plow drivers in clearing the streets is a car parked in the roadway. In accordance with Town Bylaws, residents are asked remove vehicles from the streets as early as possible so the plows can get through and remove all of the snow from the streets. It is in everyone's interest to make the roads more accessible to emergency vehicles and school buses. We also ask that you do not drive during winter storms unless the trip is absolutely necessary. The plows can do their jobs much more efficiently if the streets are not cluttered with curiosity seekers.

Another factor affecting the plowing operations is the practice by some people of pushing snow from their driveways and/or walkways out into the street. Please be advised that it is against the Town of Chelmsford bylaws (Section 142-34) to "pile, push, throw, shovel or by an other means cause snow to be deposited or placed on any public roadway or sidewalk or fire hydrant or other similar device in the Town so as to impede, obstruct or interrupt or otherwise adversely affect the unrestricted flow of traffic, or conceal any fire hydrant or other similar device, or the safe travel of any pedestrian on such roadway or sidewalk". Violations of this bylaw section are punishable by a fine of $25 for each violation.

Another item that we deal with is the potential for damage to mailboxes. We find that most mailbox damage results from the fact that the weight of the snow coming off the plow is too great for the mailbox and its support. While we do not deliberately hit mailboxes with the plow blades we will assess the damage to the mailbox and repair the damage if it was hit by a plowblade or the truck. Residents are asked to check the stability of their mailboxes, replaced rotted posts or connectors, and place the mailbox as far back from the paved street as is allowable by the Post Office.

Again, residents are requested to please drive slowly and cautiously in winter weather conditions. Speed is the biggest cause of accidents during snowstorms. Remember that the posted speed limits are for ideal driving conditions. Speeds should be reduced and stopping distances increased during winter months.