City crews, TransLink getting ready for snowfall
Posted December 19, 2013 7:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Just in case you didn’t hear it in our weather forecast, snow is on the way.
We checked in with road and TransLink crews to see how they are already working to make your commute as smooth as possible.
City crews in Vancouver will be working right through til the morning, spreading salt and salt brine on major routes.
Murray Wightman with the road maintenance department says bigger equipment is on stand by with 1,800 tons of salt in stock, and the ability to deploy crews where required.
“If the accumulations do start, we’ll have the plows on the trucks and we’ll drop them and start moving the snow to the curb lanes. And we’ll try and have things ready for the rush hour in the morning.”
If the weather turns to freezing rain, crews will focus on clearing storm drains to prevent any potential flooding.
TransLink’s Jiana Ling says their efforts will also involve preparations through to the morning.
“For our buses, we are de-icing our trucks and coating the overhead with heating fluid. On the SkyTrain lines, we are ensuring snow is cleared by adding extra staff to attend to the trains. We are prepared to operate the trains to all night keep the tracks clear.”
When you do hit the roads, a gentle reminder to slow down and leave plenty of distance between you and other drivers around you.
That advice from Kurtis Strelau with Young Drivers of Canada who expects people to struggle on the snowy roads.
He suggests getting snow tires.
“People will say, ‘Well I don’t go to Whistler or I don’t go to Big White.’ Conditions can get just as bad right here in the city even if the speeds aren’t as great and they [snow tires] can provide as much as 35 per cent extra traction.”
Stay tuned to News1130 — we’ll have LIVE coverage throughout the morning commute to get you where you need to go.
