| Cities Have Different Priorities On Plowing Residential Streets |
A number of readers of LovelandPolitics.com have emailed questions of why Ft. Collins and Longmont residential streets are plowed and de-iced
while Loveland residents are left to fend for themselves within their neighborhood streets. In addition, we were asked why the City of Loveland
plows the walking paths in the park while no residential streets get plowed.
Don't blame the hardworking crews who must plow city streets during and after a storm. It isn't the workers but the city policy that makes the
difference. Loveland, when compared to Ft. Collins and Longmont, ignores the residential streets unless they specifically lead to a school or
hospital. Above are quotes taken from the three different city policies on plowing residential streets.
Most cities divide the priority for plowing from pritorty 1 streets down to priority 4 streets. In Loveland, the residential streets are on the priority 4
list and may be plowed if the city so chooses but even then only a third of the street receives a single pass by the snow plow if it is plowed.
Apparently, when the City Council sets the City's Streets Division budget it isn't funded sufficiently to provide plowing into residential areas on any
regular basis. Therefore, residents who travel into neighboring cities will notice a higher level of service being provided residences that are not a
priority in Loveland. As the City of Loveland states on its own website, "do not warrant the additional effort and expense."
We don't know why the City of Loveland plows sidewalks in parks when many primary streets still have large accumulations of snow - like last
Wednesday but believe it is due to the fact the parks are maintained by a different department. We encourage you to take your complaints directly to
the City Council and ask that Loveland residents be given at least the minimum standard of service provided residents of other communities when it
comes to residential street plowing.
while Loveland residents are left to fend for themselves within their neighborhood streets. In addition, we were asked why the City of Loveland
plows the walking paths in the park while no residential streets get plowed.
Don't blame the hardworking crews who must plow city streets during and after a storm. It isn't the workers but the city policy that makes the
difference. Loveland, when compared to Ft. Collins and Longmont, ignores the residential streets unless they specifically lead to a school or
hospital. Above are quotes taken from the three different city policies on plowing residential streets.
Most cities divide the priority for plowing from pritorty 1 streets down to priority 4 streets. In Loveland, the residential streets are on the priority 4
list and may be plowed if the city so chooses but even then only a third of the street receives a single pass by the snow plow if it is plowed.
Apparently, when the City Council sets the City's Streets Division budget it isn't funded sufficiently to provide plowing into residential areas on any
regular basis. Therefore, residents who travel into neighboring cities will notice a higher level of service being provided residences that are not a
priority in Loveland. As the City of Loveland states on its own website, "do not warrant the additional effort and expense."
We don't know why the City of Loveland plows sidewalks in parks when many primary streets still have large accumulations of snow - like last
Wednesday but believe it is due to the fact the parks are maintained by a different department. We encourage you to take your complaints directly to
the City Council and ask that Loveland residents be given at least the minimum standard of service provided residents of other communities when it
comes to residential street plowing.
| Nov. 29, 2006 8:05 AM West 29th Street Loveland, Colorado |
| City of Loveland "Residential streets are not routinely plowed or de-iced because of their low traffic volumes and speeds do not warrant the additional effort and expense." City of Ft. Collins "[residential streets]...are usually not plowed although intersections in residential areas are sanded as time permits." City of Longmont "...extreme conditions, all streets within the city will receive plowing. In the event of snow emergencies, funding is provided from Street Improvement Fund monies accumulated from previous years' unexpended snow removal funds." |
| Comparison of Loveland, Ft. Collins and Longmont Snow Removal Policy for Residential Streets |