Snow Removal

Why Do the Plows Block My Driveway with Snow?

The primary goal of plowing is to remove snow from streets so that the road is open for emergency and residential vehicles.

Snowplows push the snow from the travel lanes of the road to the driver’s right side; unfortunately this results in snow piling up in front of driveways. Plow trucks will usually make one pass to open the road and will return to widen the road to the shoulders for future snow accumulation. Residents are advised to wait until the plow has been through their road prior to cleaning their driveway and mailbox area. If drifting or more snow occurs the plows may have to make multiple passes on a road at a later time to keep the road clear.

Residents often ask why drivers do not lift the plow blades for each driveway; this is not a practical solution as this would only leave a pile of snow in the roadway and the roads would never be cleared. Whenever possible plow drivers will try to prevent excessive blockages at driveways but at times this is not possible.

Please remember that the clearing of driveway and mailbox areas is the responsibility of the resident. Finally, the following is a diagram which shows how residents can remove snow in a manner that will lessen amount of snow that is pushed back into the driveway from a subsequent pass by a plow: