City of Brandon Public Works Department Ready to Tackle Winter With Improved Snow-Plowing Process


November 15, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon Public Works Department is pleased to announce changes to its seasonal snow-clearing procedure aimed at ensuring commuter movement across the community within 24 hours of a significant snowfall.

The City’s Public Works Department will retain its established system of plowing of all municipal streets under its care, with all such streets categorized as either Priority Routes or Residential Zones. However, a “Priority 1A” Route has been added at the front end of the plowing process that focuses the first 24 hours of all municipal snow-clearing activities on sections of major thoroughfares under the City’s care to establish a plowed “grid” of sorts for commuters and emergency vehicles to access all corners of the City as soon as possible. Included within this “Priority 1A” Route are:

  • Sections of Braecrest Drive, Kirkcaldy Drive, Knowlton Drive, Stickney Avenue, McDonald Avenue, Hilton Avenue, Parker Boulevard, Fred Brown Way, Pacific Avenue, Rosser Avenue, Princess Avenue, Victoria Avenue East, Lorne Avenue East, Van Horne Avenue East, McTavish Avenue East, E. Fotheringham Drive, Whillier Drive, Park Avenue, Queens Avenue, Elderwood Drive, Brandon Avenue, Willowdale Crescent, Aberdeen Avenue, Richmond Avenue, Maryland Avenue, Magnolia Drive, Lyndale Drive, Sycamore Drive, and Patricia Avenue
  • Portions of 34th Street, 26th Street, 19th Street North, 8th Street North, 13th Street, 10th Street, 9th Street, 6th Street, 1st Street, Dennis Street, 13th Street East, and 17th Street East
     

“In order to establish this new ‘P1-A’ Route, we evaluated what sections or portions of municipal streets could be cleared first and fast to ensure that people can access most areas of the City via a plowed arterial or collector street within 24 hours after a snow event,” explains City of Brandon Manager of Public Works Pam Penner. “Our Streets and Roads crews will now work in tandem in these specific ‘P1-A’ areas at the start of a plowing event. Once these areas are complete, they will then move on to other established Priority Routes and, if snowfall amounts warrant it, will then clear Residential Zones after that. We’re hopeful this change in focus will ensure safe, accessible movement across the City as a whole following a snowfall.”

The City of Brandon’s online Snow Map has been updated ahead of the upcoming winter season to include these specific “Priority 1A” areas. The interactive online map is updated regularly through the winter season to show when snow plowing or snow removal activity is scheduled along a priority route or within various residential zones. Brandon residents can also consult the map to see the updated plowing status of back lanes, sidewalks designated for clearing, and the City’s biking/walking path system, and can also download or print detailed maps of each respective residential zone for easy reference. Another new feature of the map this year is an improved notification process for users if the timing of scheduled plowing is changed or delayed after its initial scheduling.

City of Brandon residents and commuters are reminded that the following streets within City limits are under the Province of Manitoba’s jurisdiction for snow removal: all of 18th Street, the majority of First Street, Victoria Avenue West, Richmond Avenue east of 18th Street, the Trans-Canada Highway, Grand Valley Road and Veterans Way. For a comprehensive overview of the City of Brandon’s snow-clearing procedures, visit http://www.brandon.ca/snow-removal.

The City of Brandon also would like to remind all residents that seasonal snow routes and the by-law provision allowing for associated overnight parking bans are now in effect. As per the City of Brandon Traffic By-law, overnight parking (from 12 a.m. until either 7 a.m. or 8 a.m.) along such identified routes between the dates of November 15th and March 31st annually is prohibited IF a snow plowing/removal notice has been issued by the City of Brandon. Vehicles that remain parked along signed seasonal snow clearing routes during an identified snow-clearing event risk being ticketed and/or towed at their own expense. Designated snow routes in the City of Brandon are as follows:

  • Rosser Avenue extending from 34th Street to 13th Street East
  • Princess Avenue extending from Whillier Drive to 13th Street East
  • Ninth Street extending from Pacific Avenue to Princess Avenue
  • Tenth Street extending from Princess Avenue to Pacific Avenue
  • Louise Avenue extending from 13th Street to 18th Street
     

Residents who wish to receive direct email notifications prior to the implementation of such parking bans can sign up for this service at https://www.brandon.ca/snow-routes.