Priority Snow Plan

Crews monitor forecasts and, when necessary, will apply anti-icing materials such as brine to the road to limit the buildup of ice. During snowfall, crews focus on plowing and applying material to high volume roads like Crowchild Trail, Glenmore Trail, Macleod Trail and Memorial Drive. Crews will also monitor trouble spots like bridges, hills and important intersections across Calgary.

While our equipment is on the road, hand crews and smaller equipment are out doing important work on priority pedestrian infrastructure. Within 24 hours of snowfall stop time, The City will perform winter maintenance on:

• Over 750 km of prioritized pathways
• Sidewalks bordering City-owned properties
  • Please note – The City clears about 10 percent of all of Calgary’s sidewalks. Property owners and/or occupants are typically responsible for clearing snow from their adjacent sidewalks within 24 hours of snowfall stop time
• Pedestrian bridges, vehicle bridges, LRT platforms and other public properties with high-volume foot traffic
• Approximately 1,300 high-use bus stops

For a map of priority routes, visit the Snow and Ice Control Priority Routes map.

*The City is responsible for clearing approximately 10 per cent of Calgary sidewalks. Private property owners have the critical job of clearing the remaining 90 per cent, within 24 hours of a snowfall ending. Learn more about the bylaw requirements and escalating fines for failing to maintain a public sidewalk bordering your private property

Crews spend the first 18 hours plowing and clearing snow on Calgary’s busiest routes, which include:

When the snow stops, the clock starts! With no snow accumulating, crews focus on plowing snow and applying materials (as necessary) on Calgary’s major routes. These include:

• Calgary’s busiest major roadways. Roads with over 20,000 vehicle trips per day, such as Crowchild Trail, Memorial Drive and Macleod Trail (Please note: Deerfoot Trail and Stoney Trail are maintained by the Province).
• Downtown roads and cycle tracks (walking and wheeling lanes)

When snow clearing has been completed on Calgary’s busiest roads, crews shift focus to high-volume community and transit routes. This work includes plowing driving lanes and through lanes (not curb or parking lanes) and piling it roadside. Priority 2 routes include:

• Major Community and Transit routes. Roads with more than 5,000 vehicles per day, such as Kensington Road and Acadia Drive
• Intersections and crosswalks controlled by traffic lights
• Designated emergency routes (e.g. around hospitals and fire stations)
• Bus routes
• Roads with on-street bike lanes
• Trouble spots

Once crews have completed work on our major routes we shift focus onto lower volume routes and duties. Work during this stage includes:

•  Clearing barriers of snow and ice at important intersections along major routes, this includes reducing windrows at busy crosswalks and wheelchair curb ramps for better access
• Finishing work on major routes (turn lanes, on/off ramps)
• Levelling ruts in residential areas as needed. 
  Please note, The City does not typically clear snow from residential streets and works to maintain a hard snow pack.
• Clearing bus stops and designated routes that connect to community and transit routes.