|
|
|
|
Winter Travel Information
Portland Plow Map - Snow and Ice RoutesTraction Advisory Areas - particular locations like steep hills, bridges, and critical locations that are slick in winter weatherWhen there is snow, sleet, ice, or other winter weather event, the City of Portland's top priority is your safety. The City's Snow and Ice Plan aims to reduce life threatening and injury producing conditions and reduce interruption to commerce and damage to property. The Plan is also committed to limiting the environmental impacts associated with removing snow and ice.
The Portland Plow Map shows the City's snow and ice routes and traction advisory areas. The City has approximately 4,000 miles of streets, of which 1,300 miles are arterials, and of those, approximately 518 miles are bus snow routes. In all, the City's network includes plowing and sanding 1,300 miles of street (which represents the distance traveled from Seattle to San Diego) and anti-icing 300 miles of street.
Because winter storms are so rare in our area, the City has a limited fleet of vehicles for performing these services and they are focused on the higher priority facilities. The Snow and Ice Plan establishes four service priorities:
A. Pre-identified hazard areas and critical locations (mostly intersections and bridges);
B. Arterials and major transit routes considered to be a minimum network that must be kept open to provide a transportation system connecting hospitals, Police and Fire stations, rescue unit locations, schools, if open, and major park-and-ride transit lots;
C. Additional arterials with a high daily traffic count, and major collector streets completing a network that connects major residential areas and local commercial districts; and
D. Neighborhood residential streets providing access to residential homes and businesses, and Central Business District crosswalks, bridge walks, stairways, and other selected locations.
Most residential streets are now plowed and sanded during snow and ice events, and snow removal on sidewalks is the responsibility of the property owner.
Traction Advisory Areas are particular locations like steep hills, bridges, and critical locations on both the west and east sides of the city that are exposed to the elements and tend to freeze first. They're slick spots in winter weather.
Traction Advisory Areas are not snow zones. They do not require chains on your vehicle. But they may have hazardous and changing conditions in winter weather that warrant extra caution and perhaps chains or studded tires if you choose to drive on these streets, hills, and bridges.
Maintenance Operations has authority to close streets or require traction devices. During major events, traction devices are usually required for West Burnside Street and Sam Jackson Road. Other known hazard areas and critical locations during the winter include:
Winter road conditions are affected by a number of weather factors. Crews monitor temperatures of the air, road surfaces, and the ground, wind data, relative humidity, dew point, visibility, and precipitation. Crews also monitor specific roadway conditions all around the city. Click here for elevations of places of interest in Portland.
Road treatments include application of anti-icing and de-icing chemical, sanding, plowing, limited snow removal, and street closures. In general, salt is not used because of environmental concerns. It is corrosive to our bridges and harmful to fish and wildlife in our rivers and streams.
If you have to travel in wintry conditions, please take transit when possible or delay your trip until conditions are better. Advisories to Residents & BusinessesClear catch basins of debris to prevent drainage problems and street flooding. ◊ Clear sidewalks and driveways across pedestrian paths of snow, ice, sand, gravel, de-icer materials, and debris; property owners are liable for personal injury and property damage caused by snow, ice, and other debris on sidewalks. ◊ Pile shoveled snow where it can be absorbed into the ground, not on the street and public right-of-way. ◊ Businesses hiring contractors to remove snow from lots - store the snow on your property; do not dump it on the street and public right-of-way. ◊ Remove icicles hanging over doorways and walkways. ◊ Recover your abandoned vehicle and move it off a major road or plow route onto a side street as soon as possible so that plows can completely open up major streets.
|
|
