Calgarians could be fined for shovelling driveway snow into roads, bike lanes if bylaw approved

As springtime approaches and the roller-coaster winter season comes to an end, city council will be asked to consider a host of changes to Calgary'ssnow-clearing strategy, including a new fineand a larger reserve fund.

If approved, homeowners would be fined for shovelling snow from the driveway into the street or bike lanes.

The newly proposedwinter maintenance policy also proposes raising the winter maintenance reserve fund from $15 million to $22 million, which the city sayswould give it more flexibility during heavy snowfall years.

The amendments to the existing snow and ice control policy were brought forward to a council committeeon Wednesday. City council will vote on the proposal next week.

The city's current policy for snow and ice control was introduced in 2011and was last amended in 2021.

The goal of theproposal, according to the city,is to increase accessibility for pedestrians, make transit more reliable and improve winter driving conditions.

The citycontendsit can all be done without a major budget adjustment.Calgary's total budget for winter maintenance is $54 million annually.

Proposed new fine

The current priority-based snow plan involves addressing the snow in the city's busiest areas first.

In Calgary, the city doen'tplow residential streets, and homeowners and businesses are responsible for keeping the sidewalks adjacent to their properties clear of snow and ice. There are fines in place for failing to do so.

Among the proposed changesis a new bylaw related to where Calgarians put the snow they shovel off of their property.

The placement of snow wasn't previously a bylaw issue, but if this proposal passes, Calgarians could be fined $150 for shovelling snow from their private property into a road or a bike lane.

During a Wednesday interview on the Calgary Eyeopener, Troy McLeod, director of mobility with the City of Calgary, saidenforcement for the potential bylaw would be primarily complaint-based.

LISTEN | Proposed changes to Calgary's snow and ice control:

Calgary Eyeopener7:44Proposed Winter Maintenance Policy changes

We hear about potential changes to snow clearing in Calgary, which include cracking down on people who shovel into the road.

"When these piles of snow happen on the road from driveways, it causes a number of issues," he said.

"[It causes] safety issues as well as drainage issues this time of year when we get the snowmelt."

McLeod says thecity also wants to add an additional 150 kilometres of pathways to clear and improve snow removal around schools.

Setting priorities

Another one of the significantchanges under the proposal would be to how roads are plowed and sanded.

As it stands, Priority 1 routes which are categorized as roads that see over 20,000 vehicles daily, such as GlenmoreTrail andCrowchild Trail are cleared within 18 hours after a snowfall.

Meanwhile, Priority 2 routes which are roads that see under 20,000 but over 5,000 vehicles per day, including most bus routes are cleared within 36 hours.

The new proposal would see that major roads and their less-busy counterparts are plowed and sanded at the same time, bringing both to a 24-hour response time.

McLeod saiddealing with Priority 1and 2 routesat the same time would improve road conditions, benefiting both drivers and transit users.

"Where the problem exists for us is on those priority 2 routes," McLeodsaidfollowing Wednesday's committee meeting at City Hall.

"The snow builds and creates ice, creates snowpack, it makes it so much harder for us to address those routes."

This change is based on a pilot project that was launched this winter in Calgary's northwest, which saw Priority 2 routes plowed promptly after a snowstorm.

Another proposed change is boosting Calgary's winter maintenance reserve fundto $22 million so the city has more flexibility during years when there's lots of snow.

The committee says this would allow for more flexibility when it comes to its snow response.

"When the reserve was originally set up, it was designed for the road network of the day. That road network has since increased," said McLeod during the committee meeting.

"So what we're doing is just increasing the reserve to accommodate for that new road network that now exists in Calgary."