City of Boulder Snow and Ice Response Review

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Thank you for joining the Snow and Ice Response Review On-Demand Open House! This project will ensure the Transportation and Mobility Department’s  Snow and Ice Response program  delivers a high standard of safety, mobility and customer service to provide safe travel for the entire community. Clearing snow and ice in Boulder is a partnership between multiple departments and partners including the Transportation and Mobility Department,  Parks and Recreation Department ,  Boulder Police Code Enforcement Unit ,  CU Boulder ,  CDOT  and  Boulder County  as well as private property owners for adjacent sidewalks. This project is focused on potential changes to snow and ice clearing of streets, bus stops, multi-use paths, the bike network and shoveled areas maintained by the city’s Transportation and Mobility Department. Scroll through the story to learn more about how the city responds to snow and ice today and provide input to inform potential changes to the program through the  questionnaire  at the bottom of the page, where you can also subscribe to receive email updates on the project’s progress.

To learn the most about the project, scroll from the beginning to the end. It should take about 15 minutes to read through all the sections and fill out the questionnaire. To skip to specific sections, use the navigation bar at the top of the webpage. This website is mobile-friendly but is best viewed on a computer. If you experience webpage issues, email sheeterd@bouldercolorado.gov.

The Snow and Ice Response Review project will ensure that the Transportation and Mobility Department is:

• Operating the program efficiently, effectively and safely, in alignment with city goals
• Supporting safe travel for all modes of transportation
• Providing informative and timely communication to the community

Through March 17 we are sharing information on where snow and ice clearing services are delivered today and why, and collecting feedback about the program. Opportunities for additional input this summer and the overall project schedule are detailed in the “Next Steps” section. Implementation of any proposed changes to the program are dependent on available resources and may occur in the 2023/2024 winter season at the earliest.

Improvements to sidewalk snow removal code enforcement processes are not part of this project but could be considered as a separate, future project.

The Snow and Ice Response program is primarily the responsibility of the City of Boulder Transportation and Mobility Department, led by the Transportation Maintenance Division. The program supports the City of Boulder’s Transportation Master Plan by embracing environmental, multi-modal travel, financial and continuous improvement goals to deliver a high standard of safety, mobility and customer service to the community before, during and after snow events. When snow falls, the highest priority is to ensure safe travel for all modes of transportation and to maintain emergency response routes.

Streets, bus stops, multi-use paths, the bike network and shoveled areas maintained by the city’s Transportation and Mobility Department are typically impacted by snow and ice during the official “snow season” (Labor Day through Memorial Day). Once a storm is forecasted, streets and paths are pre-treated to reduce the buildup of snow and ice, snow clearing equipment is readied and city staff are scheduled for 12-hour snow shifts, with crews working around the clock until streets and paths are cleared of loose snow and primary routes are returned to normal conditions. The following maps detail the current levels of service for the program:

• Major streets are prioritized into primary and secondary routes and cleared on a recurring basis depending on conditions such as traffic, time of day the storm begins and snowfall rate. Conditional routes are cleared after major storms and/or prolonged periods of forecasted below-freezing temperatures.
• The on-street bike network is cleared as part of primary and secondary routes. Certain bike facilities require specialized vehicles to clear snow due to the design of the street and so are cleared closely after the adjacent vehicle lanes are plowed.
• All multi-use paths are cleared during and immediately after snow events.
• The city contracts for shoveling services of certain crosswalks, bus stops and sidewalks adjacent to city-owned properties.
• Like most communities, sidewalk snow removal is the responsibility of the adjacent property as per  Section 8-2-13 of the Boulder Revised Code (BRC) . This requires that sidewalks adjacent to both residential and commercial properties be cleared of snow and ice no later than 24 hours after snowfall stops.

A 2013 voter-approved tax initiative provided additional funding that allowed the city to begin plowing select residential streets in predetermined areas with steep slopes or a lot of shade after storms with eight inches or more of accumulation and/or prolonged periods of forecasted below-freezing temperatures. Otherwise, the city doesn’t plow residential streets after snowstorms because motor vehicle activity and the sun typically make most residential roadways functional before city plows could get to them. This is consistent with other Front Range communities. The resources required to plow all of the hundreds of miles of residential roadways in the City of Boulder are well beyond what can be staffed and funded with existing resources. Additionally, since most residential streets are narrow, plows can only clear a single center lane, which causes large amounts of snow pile against parked cars and creates snow walls across driveways. As a result, it is difficult for people to access their vehicles or the road. Adding route mileage to clear snow from residential streets would also see more environmental impacts of increased snow and ice response – air quality, emissions, water quality and storm water infrastructure. After reviewing input from this initial round of engagement, the project will consider changes to program service levels, including but not limited to expansion of snow clearing on residential streets. If service levels are increased, additional funds would need to be requested from City Council through a  formal budget development process  for implementation beginning as soon as the 2025 budget year.

When conditions allow, streets and paths are treated to help reduce the buildup of snow and ice. Snow crews may apply anti-icer products to streets before a storm to prevent snow and ice from bonding to streets and paths. If a storm starts as rain, pretreatment is ineffective because rain dilutes it and washes it away. The city uses several types of anti-icers and de-icers, including Salt Brine, Apex Meltdown and Ice Slicer RS. All products are designed to minimize the impact of snow and ice on vehicles and work as freezing-point depressants. Using these products helps minimize impacts to air quality, as no sand or other traction materials are used, which can increase air particulate pollution.

The department’s 15 large plows all use modern diesel engines that meet state air quality requirements and are fueled by biodiesel.

See these  frequently asked questions  for additional background information on the Snow and Ice Response program.

Inquire Boulder is available for community members to submit service requests for  streets, multi-use paths  and  sidewalks . The department will respond to streets and multi-use path requests within four business days. Icy street and multi-use path conditions can also be reported to the department’s Snow Dispatch at 303-413-7109 during a snowstorm. Sidewalk snow and ice removal is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner and the city’s  Code Enforcement Unit  responds to service requests. More information can be viewed on the  program webpage .

Thank you for reviewing the first on-demand open house for the Snow and Ice Response Review project. Please complete the questionnaire below to provide feedback on existing program operations and communications.

We will be back this summer/fall to ask for your input on potential program changes based on feedback we receive from you and others through March 17   and from those who submitted requests for snow and ice response to the city's Inquire Boulder system from 2015-2022. Final community engagement is planned to occur in winter 2023/2024 to inform the public of any recommended program changes. Implementation of any proposed changes to the program are dependent on available resources and may occur in the 2023/2024 winter season at the earliest. If increases to service levels are recommended, additional funds would need to be requested from City Council through a  formal budget development process  for the 2025 budget year.

Please fill out the questionnaire below. If the questions don't load or you have trouble submitting, click  here  to view it on a separate page.