Snow-plowing priorities outlined by city of Park Ridge

• Reprints

Updated: January 16, 2012 2:48PM

“Why is snow plowed more often or quicker on some streets than on others?”

According to the city’s website, www.parkridge.us, priority is given to the arterial and collector streets that serve the most people.

“These streets collectively make up our snow routes,” the site states. “Streets adjoining schools are also given priority. These streets are salted to provide bare pavement as a goal. The City’s objective is to keep these streets clear by frequent, repeated salting and plowing.”

Residential districts are plowed simultaneously with the snow routes, but without the same intensity of resources, the site states.

“The time required to complete the fourteen districts will vary depending upon the duration of the snow storm,” the site states. “The goal is to have all districts plowed 12-24 hours after the snow has stopped.

“The City does not salt the entire length of residential streets so a bare pavement is not expected. However, the approaches to intersections on residential streets are salted (150 feet on each side).”

Parking-lot areas are plowed generally after the streets are plowed and are done overnight, when the lots are empty.

Snow removal is done only in the major business areas and city parking lots after the initial emergency has passed and only when the accumulation is deemed significant, the site states.