Winter is upon us once more. Mother Nature will soon transform our city streets and roadways into white paths that are slippery and dangerous. We will see wind, snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain and bitter cold temperatures.
Our Public Works Department wants to ensure that everyone remains safe during your winter travels. It’s important to be prepared when heading out onto the roadways. Check weather conditions along your route before leaving. Keep blankets and warm clothing in your vehicle so if you become stranded, you can remain warm until help arrives.
Public Works is responsible for maintaining more than 170 miles of streets and roads in the city. Our trucks, sidewalk machines and loaders are working hard to plow and treat roads, streets, sidewalks and parking lots. Drivers constantly adjust their speed and come to frequent stops while performing this work. At intersections, you can expect our equipment to be making wide turns. When you see our equipment and their flashing lights, please ensure you maintain a safe distance and give our equipment and workers the additional space they need to do their work. Don’t follow too close and end up in their blind spot – that is unsafe for you and them.
Two important things to be aware of: Blowing or pushing snow onto streets and roadways is against the law and punishable with a fine. And passing a plow truck on the right is prohibited and a ticketable offense.
The Public Works Department collaborates with several contractors to haul snow from downtown areas. This is a large undertaking requiring a great deal of coordination, but is very important in order to keep our city streets and parking lots clean and manageable throughout the winter. Snow banks can reach considerable heights, causing vision problems, snow storage issues and water drainage challenges. Please remember that parking is prohibited during snow removal on those streets we are working on (even if there are designated parking spots). Please refrain from driving through any of the piles we are working to remove.
Sidewalk maintenance is another service that Public Works provides, which benefits downtown merchants and residents. With over 20 miles of sidewalks in Presque Isle, the amount of time to clear them all can vary from eight to 16 hours or more. Snow consistency and amount will play a huge part in the time needed to complete this work. We have two skilled operators who operate our sidewalk machines, but only once they have ensured their truck plowing routes are done. It is a long day for these employees and your patience while they work is always appreciated.
Our department takes immense pride in serving the community, often working long hours in challenging conditions. This effort is aimed at making it possible for the public to commute safely. We urge you to play your part — slow down, allow extra time for your journey, and collaborate with us to maintain safe streets and roadways for everyone.
As always, we appreciate your patience and assistance.
Nathan Bond is the Public Works Director for the City of Presque Isle. He can be reached at 764-2560.
