Purpose:
To provide a safe road way system in Genesee County during the winter
months by operating an effective winter road maintenance service
while controlling salt and other chemical usage as well as other
winter maintenance expenditures.
Objectives for Genesee County Winter Maintenance
Operations:
Reduce the risk to the traveling public that is generally associated
with snowy and icy road conditions.
Provide reasonably safe school bus routes and school zones;
support as necessary emergency operations by appropriate police,
fire, and ambulance agencies in Genesee County.
Assist in reducing economic loss to Genesee County and its townships
along with the associated businesses and industries by providing
a reasonably safe road system for the transport of person and
goods.
Provide for more efficient, cost effective, and responsive winter
operations on the part of Genesee County Road Commission.
To enhance the quality of communications and coordination with
the townships in Genesee County and the Michigan Department of
Transportation (MdoT) in order to provide better services during
the winter to the traveling public.
Background:
Each roadway has been classified by traffic volumes and level of
importance to the community. Each classification has been assigned
a level of maintenance during winter storm conditions. The classifications
and levels of maintenance are as follows:
CLASS 1 (Major Routes - ADT):
Provide maintenance services as appropriate under prevailing
weather conditions with a goal of providing a pavement surface
generally bare of snow and ice. Winter maintenance crews will
blade snow and ice from the roadway surfaces and apply deicing
chemicals and/or abrasives as needed to provide a wet and reasonably
bare pavement. It is intended that this work will be accomplished
using overtime labor as needed and within funds budget.
CLASS 2 (Major Routes - ADT):
Provide maintenance services as appropriate under prevailing
weather conditions with a goal of providing a pavement surface
generally bare of snow and ice in the center portion with sufficient
width for one-wheel track in each direction. Deicing chemicals
and/or abrasives will be applied as needed. Overtime work will
cease when this level of maintenance can be sustained. Clearing
the pavement of snow and ice over the entire width of the roadway
will be accomplished as soon as reasonably possible without
requiring overtime work.
CLASS 3 (Secondary Routes - ADT):
Provide maintenance services as appropriate under prevailing
weather conditions with a goal of providing a pavement surface
that is passable yet snow covered. Crews shall blade and plow
snow from the traveled portion of the roadway with a thin cover
of snow permissible. No general application of deicing chemicals
and/or abrasives except under during freezing rain or extreme
sleet conditions. Hills, curves, and intersections only will
be spot treated with deicing chemicals and or abrasives. Minimum
overtime only needed.
CLASS 4 (Remainder of Primary and Local
Hard Surface):
Provide maintenance services as appropriate under prevailing
weather conditions with a goal of providing a pavement surface
that is passable yet snow covered. Crews shall blade and plow
snow from the traveled portion of the roadway with a thin cover
of snow permissible. No general application of deicing chemicals
and/or abrasives shall be placed except in extreme conditions
of sleet and freezing rain. Hills, curves, and intersections
only will be spot treated with deicing chemicals and or abrasives.
No overtime will be worked on these routes.
CLASS 5 (Subdivisions and Gravel Local
Roads):
Provide maintenance services as appropriate under prevailing
weather conditions. Blading and plowing shall generally be the
only treatment given. Under extreme packed ice conditions, deicing
chemicals and/or abrasives may be used in an emergency with
the authorization of the Director of Maintenance of his designee.
Winter maintenance efforts on these routes are to undertake
in conjunction with other street priorities. Overtime is generally
not authorized in these routes.
Synopsis of Roadways with
Associated Levels of Service
CLASS 1:
All state trunk lines and multi-lane (four or more) primary
roads
First Priority:
bare pavement with overtime authorized as necessary
CLASS 2:
Multi-lane primary and high ADT single lane primary roads
First Priority:
Bare pavement during regular GCRC working hours with consideration
given to Class 1 first.
Second Priority:
Center bare pavement to be accomplished on overtime as approved
by the Director of Maintenance of his designee.
CLASS 3:
Low volume primary and high volume paved roads
Second Priority:
Center bare pavement with minimum overtime as approved
by the Director of Maintenance of his designee
CLASS 4:
Remainder of primary and local roads
Third Priority:
Snow covered with plowing and blading during regular
GCRC working hours only.
CLASS 5:
Subdivisions and local gravel roads
Fourth Priority:
Snow covered with plowing and grading. No overtime authorized.
Note: During blizzard
conditions instead of plowing major winter routes until completed
the Director of Maintenance of his designee direct the district
garage crews to plow until the major winter routes are reasonably
safe for the public to drive. Once the major winter routes are safe
for the public to drive, the crews will commence plowing subdivision
and unpaved roads in order to clear the roadways in anticipation
of rush hour traffic. The plowing done on expressways will be done
by the state trunk line crew. Once the state trunk lines has completed
plowing the expressways they will be sent to help the district garages
to plow subdivisions and unpaved roads. This action will allow the
subdivisions and unpaved roads to be plowed in a much faster time
without the use of overtime. All overtime plowing is to be done
of major winter routes until finished.
Level of Service
Priority
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
Class 4
Class 5
Regular
Time/Over
Time
First
XXXX
XXXX
R/T
First
XXXX
O/T
Second
XXXX
R/T
Second
XXXX
XXXX
O/T
Third
XXXX
R/T
Third
O/T
Fourth
XXXX
R/T
Fourth
XXXX
O/T
Note: The Manager Director and the Director of Maintenance have
the authority to respond as necessary in order to maintain roadways
that are safe for the motoring public.
Communications:
The GCRC will receive information and comments from the public
at the following telephone number:
810.767.4920
800.249.4027
The toll-free, 800 telephone number can be dialed from any place
in the state of Michigan. The dispatching of GCRC vehicles in support
of other emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, fire trucks, police
and/or sheriff's vehicles, etc., will only be accomplished through
the appropriate dispatch center.
The County of Genesee Maintenance is responsible for the clearing
of snow and winter maintenance on public road right of ways. These
functions include:
Road plowing
Road salting
Snow removal
The Maintenance Department also administers policies related to
snow removal and right of way obstructions.
Contacts:
Maintenance
(810) 767-4920 ext. 277
After Hours
(810) 767-4920 ext 277
Emergency
911
Present policy is to provide snow/ice control functions prioritized
as follows. This assumes a normal snowfall event (approximately
2-4 inches in one storm over 12 hours). The approximate time limits
are for plowing (and salting as required) from point of commencement
(half way through storm).
Priority Ranking
Priority
Ranking
Route
Roads
Initial Duration
of Plowing/
Salting to Clear Route, etc.
1
Express-Ways
8 hours
2
Main Streets
4 hours
3
Local Roads
8 hours
The above time limits are based on one storm event with no intervening
events during the removal operations or accumulation greater than
4 inches (i.e. if another storm occurs during the clean up of the
first storm, the time limits are extended and the degree of clean
up is affected).
Special Note to
Citizens of Genesee County
Snow Plowing Routes:
The Genesee County Road Commission administers over 60 separate
snow plowing routes. Countywide, the priority order described
above is adhered to. The GCRC has many different drivers and vehicles
and the routes are completed in the most expedient and cost effective
manner possible.
On-Street Parking:
We ask the cooperation of the public in removing vehicles from
the road during snow clearing operations. Cars obstructing cleaning
activities or abandoned will be dealt with under township by-laws
as appropriate and may involve towing.
In closing, the Maintenance Department thanks the citizens of Genesee
County for they're past cooperation and assistance and as anticipated
for the coming winter.
Rocky Chatman
Director of Maintenance
Typical Questions
When is my street to be plowed?
Please give 24 hours for Main roads to be plowed and 48 hours
for local roads. We cannot give specific
times for specific streets.
Why is my driveway plowed in with snow,
can it not be cleared?
Works crews usually plow half of a road to one side and then
the other. This means snow is pushed into driveways. This is unavoidable.
The cost in manpower and equipment to remove the snow is too great
to accommodate in our budget.
Why do trucks plow streets that are
generally done?
The trucks are normally blading back the gutter area to allow
snowmelt to get to sewers and to widen the traveled area.
