Maple Ridge unveils new Snow Plow Tracker

Whenever the calendar flips to December, you can easily locate Santa Claus online. This winter, you can also see how long it’s taking Maple Ridge to clear snow from the city’s streets.

On Nov. 24, the city unveiled a ‘Snow Plow Tracker’ that monitors the deployment of fleet trucks during snowstorms. The tracker, which uploads GPS data to an online map data, will provide clarity to residents wondering when their street may be plowed during a snowstorm.

“This map allows you to see how we are deployed on the priority routes in real time,” stated Walter Oleschak, the city’s director of engineering and operations, in a press release. 

There are six priority routes in Maple Ridge that are scheduled to be cleared first. 

These routes, which have been classified as vital corridors because of their high volume and access for first responders to emergency service buildings, include Maple Meadows Way, Dewdney Trunk Road, and 252 Street. 

Once heavy snow stops falling, and those arterial routes are clear, the trucks will then move to secondary streets.

Although Maple Ridge is responsible for most of the roadways in the city, there are various routes that are managed by other organizations. 

Lougheed Highway, for example, from Pitt Meadows to Mission, is maintained by the Mainroad Group, a commercial company that looks after the Lower Mainland’s provincial highways. Golden Ears Way and Bridge are also maintained by a private company, and school sidewalks and parking lots are School District 42’s responsibility. 

Residents, meanwhile, are asked to manage their own property. 

On a snow day, Maple Ridge is advising residents to clear their sidewalks before 10:00 a.m. or face a fine of up to $300. 

“If you know of a neighbour with physical challenges, shovel their sidewalk when you do your own,” the city added in a release.

In preparation for the winter season, Maple Ridge has secured 5,000 tonnes of salt to prevent black ice from forming on city streets. 

There has not been any snow recorded in Maple Ridge this fall, however, last year on Nov. 29, the city experienced a roughly 10 to 20 centimetre dumping of snow. For more information on the city’s winter weather strategy, click here.