Snow Route Map
Overview
The Street Maintenance Division is responsible for the signing, marking and maintenance of all 96.6 miles of public city-controlled streets and related facilities, including repairs, traffic control, street sweeping, leaf collection, and snow/ice removal. In addition, this division is responsible for the maintenance of bridges and other structures. For related questions, contact the Street Maintenance Division at 314-505-8585.
Snow Removal
The safety and security of University City residents remain a top priority of the City. To ensure safe road conditions during inclement weather, the City is provided with around-the-clock monitoring of weather patterns affecting University City and the surrounding areas. This allows for the City's crews to begin salting roadways, and to provide mechanical snow removal as soon as possible.
The City began using Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA), for the prevention and removal of snow and ice in 2006. Calcium Magnesium Acetate is less corrosive than sodium chloride (rock salt) on both concrete and steel surfaces. Initially CMA was used on half the City bridges. Now with a successful track record, it is being used on all City bridges.
Snow Safety Procedures
A weather notification system alerts on-call crews of potentially hazardous storms. This allows crews to stay ahead of the storm. On-call crews are mobilized and dispatched to begin pre-treatment application of anti-icing/deicing materials at least one hour before the storms arrival. Snow accumulation and the volume of traffic will normally dictate when to begin plowing. Treatment of streets and bridges begins when snowfall accumulates to two or more inches. Plowing and/or material spreading will take place during a storm as needed to reduce the accumulation on the street surface. However, when there is freezing precipitation, bridges and first priority streets are treated with anti-icing/deicing materials.
Streets with the heaviest traffic take priority. Our anti-icing technique is used mainly on bridges and first priority streets. We typically do not treat (de-ice) residential non-priority streets. Residential streets are treated only if they are particularly slick. In extreme conditions second priority streets are treated as determined by department supervisors. Streets will normally be plowed with a single plow unit making multiple passes in each direction to clear the street of accumulated snow from curb to curb.
Residents can help by moving vehicles from main streets until maintenance is complete. Crews can do a better job of plowing when cars are not parked on the street. During snow and ice storms, residents are encouraged to park in their driveways, if possible. This will make the City's plowing efforts more effective. When you encounter snow removal or ice control equipment:
- Yield the right of way if you can do so safely.
- Keep back at least 50 feet from snow or ice control equipment.
- Do not attempt to pass this equipment.
- Do not attempt to drive through the plowed mounds of snow, as you could lose control of your vehicle or hit a covered object.
The snow and ice control crews are out there to aid you in reaching your destination safely.
Best Management Practices
University City currently uses Best Management Practices (BMPs) to help our snow removal crews distribute salt and de-icing materials efficiently, reducing the overall use of salt and minimizing its undesirable environmental effects. These BMPs include training snow removal crews in effective salt application, using alternative de-icing products, and innovative techniques and plowing equipment.
Most of our snow and ice control efforts involve clearing and treating the pavement before conditions make it ripe for snow to stick. By relying on information provided by Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) and by monitoring air and pavement temperatures, we are able to make informed decisions about where and when to deploy materials, crews and equipment. Our snow and ice protocol is as follows:
1. Anti-icing – preventing snow and ice from bonding to the pavement by the timely application of chemical freezing-point depressants. Anti-icing involves treating the roadway surface with chemicals that melt snow as it hits the pavement, lowering the freezing point and delaying the formation of ice.
2. De-icing – removing snow and ice after it has bonded to the pavement. This is achieved by plowing. Plowing enables us to clear the streets of snow and ice without the use of additional salt or chemicals. Residential streets are plowed only after major City streets are treated and/or cleared.
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