Councillor wants city to partner with private snowplow operators for rural roads
A motion to be presented at Ottawa city council Wednesday will explore the possibility of partnering with private plow operators in the hopes of getting rural roads cleared faster after snow falls.
The motion will be brought forward by Rideau-Jock Ward Coun. David Brown, who said he's heard a number of complaints from constituents about how long it takes for city crews to clear residential streets.
"With the intensification that we're seeing in some of our new subdivisions, the issue seems to be a little more prevalent," he said.
That's because homes are being built closer together, driveways are smaller, and more people are being forced to park on the street.
It's also an issue that became worse after amalgamation, he said. Before, cities and townships would be responsible for residential streets and regions would be responsible for arterial roads.
"You would see a city plow or a township plow on your residential street much sooner than we do today," said Brown.
Addressing snowplow 'dead time'
A partnership with privately owned plow operators might go a long way in addressing what Brown referred to as "dead time," — the length of time between when a private contractor might show up and clear a driveway and when a city plow arrives to clear the road.
He said that it can often take hours, particularly in rural areas but it's also a citywide issue.
A partnership with private operators could go a long way in reducing those wait times, said Brown.
Rideau-Jock ward Coun. David Brown said it makes sense to tap into the resources private contractors have available. (Jean Delisle/CBC)
"These private operators have a significant number of resources, both in terms of personnel and equipment and frequently arrive on residential streets significantly before municipal street plows arrive," reads Brown's motion.
"If the resources are on the street and we can try to tap into that, it just makes sense," he later said to CBC News.
Brown's motion asks city staff to do a review of other municipalities across Canada to see if there are similar partnerships elsewhere and ultimately explore the possibility of a pilot project in Ottawa.
