Metro Vancouver snow catches city crews off guard, commuters critical of response

Locals across the Lower Mainland woke up to a winter wonderland Thursday morning after heavy snowfall blanketed the city. However, the morning commute was a nightmare for many.

Between 10 and 25 centimetres fell on Metro Vancouver, creating challenging conditions on roads, bridges, bike lanes, and sidewalks throughout the region and slowed transit services in many areas.

Related Photos: Snow turns Metro Vancouver into a winter wonderland

Some drivers took to Twitter to air their frustrations after they found major roads — some of which in Vancouver — were still covered in snow.

“Vancouver is not equipped for the snow AT ALL… we don’t have nearly enough snow plows for the cities and not enough clearing/salting of sidewalks too,” Twitter user Elly wrote. “Please stay home if you have the option… it’s a Mad Max hellscape out here.”

Vancouver is not equipped for the snow AT ALL… we don’t have nearly enough snow plows for the cities and not enough clearing/salting of sidewalks too.

Please stay home if you have the option… it’s a Mad Max hellscape out here

— (@okikaguslut) December 30, 2021

Another social media user said they hate the feeling of being locked down because “so little snow can completely ground you” in the city.

I hate being an Albertan living in Vancouver because I viscerally hate the feeling of being locked in/unable to move due to snow my brain cannot comprehend how so little snow can completely ground you BUT IT CAN. AND IT DOES

— Kappy(@Ms_Kappy) December 30, 2021

One user said they planned to stay home for the day, describing conditions as a “death trap.”

And people wonder why I literally don’t leave my apartment when the snow comes down this bad in Vancouver. It is a nightmare, it is a death trap, you are all fools.

— Stephanie Charette (@scribofelidae) December 30, 2021

Other Twitter users have made the same critics about Surrey and Coquitlam.

Vancouver, British Columbia gets a couple of inches of snow and everything is shut down. pic.twitter.com/2bNuYgRwQj

— Cariboojeff (@JeffTimmins3) December 30, 2021

Snow is wreaking havoc on Metro Vancouver roads.
"It's like driving on oil", a Mainroad worker tells me.

176 st. SB just past Golden Ears in Surrey is closed and likely will be for a while due to a multi-vehicle crash.

Bottom line: be careful on your commute.@CityNewsVAN

— Greg Bowman (@gregbowman_) December 30, 2021

someone tell city of surrey to clean the snow at my street my uber cant even go near my house

— (@itsjlx) December 30, 2021

@cityofcoquitlam What prevents you from cleaning & salting the streets? We had lots of snow & a cold snap starting w Dec 24. Shame.

— dan oancea xy (@dankogaion) December 30, 2021

Amy Sidwell, manager of Street Operations for the City of Vancouver, admits the city did not expect to see the amount of snow that came down.

“We did receive more snow than we anticipated. We were anticipating about five to 10 centimetres when we got more in the range of 15 centimetres,” she said.

Major routes like Broadway and Grandview Highway were not cleared before 9 a.m., but these roads are usually plowed first, Sidwell tells CityNews. However, she explains, “It just depends how many vehicles we have out.”

“With the higher accumulations than we were expecting and the snow falling faster, it takes us longer to complete a route and get back around to it again.”

Even though crews in Coquitlam were working 24/7 according to Inder Tung with the City, he agrees with Sidwell and says there was just more snow than expected.

“For example, a plow driver would drive down an arterial road. And as soon as he turned around, the snow was right back again,” he said.

Despite what some people may think, Darren Ell with Mainroad crews says his teams did pretreat roads with salt and brine before the snowfall. But crews just aren’t always able to keep up.

“When there’s a lot of snow coming down, the truck passes through and within a few minutes — 10 or 15 minutes — that snow is building up again. So it takes time to get that out, and we can’t have a truck following another truck at all times. You just don’t have that many resources,” he said.

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• Vancouver pedestrian walkways slippery as bike lanes remain clear

As for sidewalks, there are protocols in place. For example, Sidwell says crews are trained to clear pathways adjacent to bikeways.

Crews treat over 15 high-use bikeways around the city, but Sidwell admits some pathways were not cleared even after this weekend’s snowfall.

“Once we found that out, we dispatch our crews to make that correction and we’ve been continuing to follow up with crews to make sure they’re doing those paths first for the snowfall event today,” Sidwell said.

https://twitter.com/Westcoastsnine/status/1476590434948247555

Sidwell says clearing roads is prioritized so emergency vehicles can safely travel around the city.

Tung also says the City of Coquitlam had to prioritize priority routes instead of local roads.

As crews usually do when snow is anticipated, Sidwell says they were out overnight and continue to work through the day.

“They’re out plowing and salting and just trying to get the roads clear again,” she said. “It’s helpful now that we have the traffic on the roads because that once the cars are driving on the road that helps to activate the salt and helps with melting.”

Another load of snow is expected Saturday and Sidwell says the city is preparing for that.

“Once we’re done clearing the road of snow then we’re really working on anti-icing treatments for colder temperatures tonight.”

Sidwell is advising pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers to check traffic conditions and public transport updates and only travel if it’s essential.

“It makes it a lot easier for staff that are doing treatments on the road,” she said.

Ell adds if you’re uncomfortable driving in the snow, then don’t.

He says even delaying your commute can help, as it will give crews time to clear roads.

– With files from Hana Mae Nassar, Martin MacMahon and Dean Recksiedler