Peak snowfalls create challenges for city services around the world, says Elena Trubina, project manager at the ATLAS territorial development bureau. And they cope with these challenges in different ways. Exactly how is specified in local street cleaning guidelines.
Canada
In Canada, snow removal is strictly regulated. Ottawa uses a system of prioritizing streets, divided into classes depending on traffic volume. Main streets are cleared first, and roads in residential areas – when the snow cover is 7 cm or more. For highways, the use of powerful equipment is provided: rotary snow blowers and graders. Snow is collected and transported to snow melting stations, which minimizes its storage within the city.
The difference from Russia is the emphasis on the environmental friendliness of the process, the use of technologies that reduce the impact on the environment, and minimizing the use of sand.
Great Britain
The city of Portsmouth uses rock salt to prevent road icing, which lowers the freezing point of water, Trubina notes. However, salt only works if there is traffic, which mixes snow and salt and promotes melting. Gravel is used as an alternative to salt, especially in areas where salt can damage plants, trees or soil. Snow and ice are cleared manually or using snow removal equipment (such as plows). Roads are divided into 3 priority categories for cleaning. City residents can clean the sidewalks near their homes on their own; for this purpose, they use special public containers with salt that are easily accessible throughout the city.
In many countries, residents in winter easily abandon cars in favor of public transport or even skis
The difference from Russian practice is the availability of salt for use by residents, as well as cleaning by residents themselves.
Britannia. Snow drifts on Glenshane Pass. Photo: Getty Images
USA
In the USA, snow is removed taking into account regional climatic conditions, which vary greatly from state to state. Basically, on low-traffic roads, snow rolling is often used to create a safe snow run. Highways are cleaned primarily using anti-ice materials. For example, in Fargo, North Dakota, streets are divided into 6 categories. Main streets are cleared as early as 1 cm of precipitation, and sidewalks and alleys are cleared only after the completion of major work. And in the city of Sturgeon Bay, salt is sprinkled only after the snowfall has ended, so as not to waste too much material. And in case of heavy snowfalls (more than 15 cm), cleaning is carried out at night to minimize the impact on the traffic load. The snow is first cleared off the roadside, as in Russia, and then transported.
A special feature of snow removal is the active involvement of residents and private contractors in cleaning local areas. This is very different from Russian approaches, where such work is carried out by public utilities. Another difference from Russian practice is the use of a mixture of salt and environmentally friendly liquids to improve the adhesion of the coating to the sole, that is, the focus is on increasing the environmental friendliness of the use of reagents.
Finland
In Finland, snow removal on roads is also organized taking into account traffic intensity. The main lines are cleaned first and treated with salt or reagents. Secondary roads are often left with a compacted snow cover; when new snow is rolled away, it is sprinkled with granite chips to increase traction on the surface for safe walking. Residents independently clean the sidewalks in front of their homes on local streets.
Unlike Russia, Finland relies less on chemicals and more on mechanical cleaning.
China
In Beijing and Shanghai, snowfall is rare, so the emphasis is on preventing ice build-up and minimizing the environmental impact of cleaning. Both cities actively use heating systems for roads and sidewalks, rather than reagents, which reduces the burden on the environment.
Snow removal is carried out mechanically on highways and main streets, while sidewalks and secondary roads are often cleared manually due to dense buildings and the impossibility of passage of cleaning equipment. Snow is temporarily stored in specially designated areas; in Shanghai, such areas are often integrated into green buffers and areas. Reagents are used only in exceptional cases; sand and gravel mixtures are mainly used.
The main difference from Russian practice is the availability of road heating technologies and the absence of the use of caustic reagents, which has a positive effect on the environmental situation. Also in China, manual sidewalk cleaning predominates rather than mechanized.
New recruits help clear snow in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images
Iceland
Iceland, thanks to geothermal resources, minimizes mechanical snow removal. Most roads and sidewalks in Reykjavík are heated underground through extensive piping, virtually eliminating the need for chemicals. Streets are divided into classes and service priority categories. Major streets are cleared immediately when the snow thickness is from 2 to 5 cm, and secondary streets are cleared when 5-7 cm of snow accumulates.
Fun fact: Many cities, including Reykjavik, store snow in temporary sites and then often dump it into the sea, given the cities’ proximity to the coast. This practice is justified due to limited snow storage space and rare long-term freezing temperatures, making snow storage less efficient in the long term. This approach is used in most cities along the coast, especially in environments where environmental regulations allow such disposal. In this regard, the use of reagents is limited and the entire cleaning process is aimed at increasing the environmental friendliness of the processes.
This is radically different from Russian approaches, where reagents are actively used to prevent ice, and snow begins to be cleared off before the formation of a layer of 7 cm.
How about us
In Russia, snow removal is based on the use of a large number of reagents and equipment. Unlike a number of foreign approaches, the emphasis of cleaning in Moscow is on removing snow to asphalt, while the focus in other countries is on the environmental friendliness of the process or heating roads. However, heavy snowfalls cause problems even in countries with developed infrastructure. For example, in Canada there are often delays in snow removal, and in Finland snow accumulation on secondary roads causes significant inconvenience and dangerous situations.
In the snowy northern countries, the approaches to snow removal are approximately the same as in Russia, but they treat snow on the roads more tolerantly, notes Tatyana Lykova, chief specialist of the Institute of Urban Economics Foundation. They consider snow removal not the most effective method, since snow falls again and again, and municipalities do not spend money on increasing snow removal equipment. Owners often clear the snow in front of their houses themselves, and during snowfalls they easily abandon their own cars in favor of public transport or even skis.
By the way
The management organization or HOA is responsible for clearing snow in yards in Russia, the Ministry of Construction reminds.
If there is light snow (up to 2 cm), then the wipers only need to sweep the yard. If there is more snow, move the snowdrifts to the edge of the sidewalk. It is allowed to store snow on lawns and free areas, provided that green spaces are preserved.
During snowfall, street cleaners should clean sidewalks with busy pedestrian traffic (more than 100 people/hour) every hour, less busy ones (50-100 people/hour) – every two hours, and less popular ones (less than 50 people/hour) – every three hours. If movement around the yard becomes impossible, snow removal must be carried out continuously. But during heavy snowfall, not the entire yard is cleared, but only passages for pedestrians. The consequences of snowfall must be completely eliminated within 6 hours after it ends.
Source: rg.ru
