Snow Removal Policy and Snow Routes
The goal of the City of O’Fallon Public Works Department is to provide snow and ice control in a timely and cost-efficient manner. Priorities are set based on public safety needs. Access ways for emergency vehicles is our first priority. Routes with high traffic volumes, areas around schools, major intersections and railroad crossings also receive priority treatment. Beyond that, attention is given to minor collector streets and those with steep grades. Due to conditions, such as blowing snow, continual freezing rain, or the need to address high priority state and township roadways, not every street in the City will be treated in every snow or ice event. The cost and practicality of such treatment is not reasonable.
During ice or snow conditions, the Public Works Department’s Operations Group applies de-icer and plows snow. There are two phases for ice control and snow plowing: (1) when snow or ice conditions exist, salt is applied to the pavement based on public safety needs; and (2) depending on the pavement conditions and forecast, snow plowing will commence when two to four inches of snow accumulates. It is our standard practice to avoid salting roads in newer subdivisions as repeated salting in areas where there is new concrete leads to rapid deterioration of that material.
How Residents Can Help:
• Don’t drive if you don’t have to.
• Drive safely and have appropriate tires on your vehicle. Do not drive until you have properly cleared windows of obstructions, and replaced worn windshield wipers.
• Park your car off-street whenever you can. During snowfall or when snow is predicted, it is especially important to remove all vehicles from the street to allow the operation of snow removal equipment. If you live on a “Snow Emergency Route” you are not allowed to park your vehicle on the street during a snow storm.
• Make sure that basketball goals and other obstructions are not placed in or adjacent to the street. They pose a hazard to snow plowing crews and to the traveling public.
• Do not push or place snow in front of a neighbor’s property or on top of storm drains.
• Do not plow snow into travel lanes or leave snow on sidewalks or in street gutters. Keep your street gutter clean for drainage; don’t cause ponding of snow melt that can turn into ice.
• Clean snow from around fire hydrants and be careful you do not block the hydrants when you shovel snow.
• Owners of private parking lots are responsible for removing their own snow. Do not expect City crews to pick up piles of snow pushed onto the street from private parking lots. The snow pile could remain for an extended period causing potential safety hazards and the possibility of liability for the property owner.
• Property owners are responsible for clearing their driveway approaches and around mailboxes. Snow plowing operations may inconvenience property owners when snow is plowed in front of driveways or by mailboxes. However, we cannot respond to requests to clear driveways or mailboxes – our priority is keeping roads open for emergency service providers.
• Be patient; snow removal takes time. It is possible that not every street in the City will get plowed.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How big is O’Fallon and what resources do we have on hand to respond to snow and ice events?
A: The City of O’Fallon is approximately 14 square miles in size and Public Works performs snow and ice control operations on approximately 361 lane miles of streets, assuming a standard lane width of 12 feet.
Snow Routes
Our fleet includes eight three-ton plow trucks with salt spreaders as the primary de-icing and snow removal tool. Since 2002, we have used approximately 1,370 tons of salt annually in response to a total of 37 snow and ice events. Last year was an unusually busy year with nine events requiring the use of more than 3,900 tons of salt to be used in response to an estimated 25.9 inches of snow and ice. We currently have salt on hand in excess of our standard year’s demand, but a heavy season may require a more restrained response if supplies become unavailable.
Q. Why doesn’t my street get plowed?
A. The City of O’Fallon’s areas of concentration are emergency service and known hazardous areas, arterial street intersections, school district areas, followed by collector street intersections within commercial and residential areas, and then remaining street intersections and trouble spots. Residential streets with relatively low volume of traffic are not top priority and are not always treated. Streets with higher volumes of traffic are given priority due to those volumes and often higher speeds, which create a more hazardous situation than a residential street with low traffic volume and low speeds.
Q: Who else plows snow from the streets in the City?
A: Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), St. Clair County, O’Fallon Township, and Caseyville Township all provide snow removal services on various streets within the City of O’Fallon.
Q: Where are snow routes located?
A: According to the City of O’Fallon Code of Ordinances, Chapter 78, Parking Schedules, snow routes are:
• Auto Court Drive
• Cambridge Boulevard
• Central Park Drive
• Colleen Drive (Walnut to Nancy)
• Dartmouth Drive (S. Lincoln to DeSoto)
• Deer Creek Road
• DeSoto Drive (Dartmouth to Matthew)
• Edgewood Drive (Timber Creek to Hawthorne)
• Erics Run (Nottinghill to Keck Ridge)
• Fairwood Hills Drive
• First Street (S. Lincoln to Vine)
• Greystone Place (Nottinghill to Thornbury)
• Hartman Lane (Hwy. 50 to Terrace Green)
• Hawthorne Place
• Hearthstone Drive
• Highway 50 (Old Collinsville to Hartman)
• lllini Drive
• Juniper Drive (Willow to Persimmon)
• Keck Ridge Drive
• Kyle Road
• Lincoln Avenue (Hwy. 50 to Robert)
• Lincoln Farm Rd.
• Longfellow Drive (Merriam Pkwy. to Hightower)
• Madison (Obernuefemann to Persimmon)
• Matthew (Dartmouth to Princeton)
• Merriam Parkway (Milburn School Rd. to Longfellow & adjacent to City Boundary)
• Moye School Road
• Nancy Drive (Colleen to Ruth)
• Natalyns Trace
• New Car Drive
• Nottinghill (Greystone to Erics Run)
• Obernuefemann Road
• Old Collinsville Road (Hwy. 50 to RR & all areas adjacent to City Boundary)
• Old Vincennes (Seven Hills to Scott Troy)
• Park Plaza Drive
• Pausch Road (Milburn School to Larkway)
• Persimmon Drive (Milburn School Rd. to Larkway)
• Persimmon Drive (W. Madison to Juniper)
• Pierce Boulevard
• Planters Crossing (Nottinghill to Keck Ridge)
• Porter Road
• Princeton Drive (Vanderbilt to Dartmouth)
• Regency Park Drive
• Ruth Drive (Nancy to S. Lincoln)
• Rutherford Ridge
• Savoy (Terracotta to Ingleside)
• Schwaegel Road (Hwy. 50 to State)
• Second Street (S. Lincoln to Vine)
• Seven Hills Road (portions contained by or adjacent to City Boundary)
• Shadow Ridge Crossing (Wildwood to E. Wesley)
• Simmons Road (portions contained by or adjacent to City Boundary)
• Smiley Street (State to Wildwood)
• Southview Drive
• St. Nicholas
• State Street
• Summerlin Ridge (N. Lincoln to Lincoln Farm)
• Terracotta
• Third Street
• Thornbury Place
• Timber Creek
• Torchlight Lane
• Treybrook (Scott Troy to Terracotta)
• Venita Drive
• Victoria (Moye School to Thornbury)
• Vine Street (State to Second)
• Walnut Street
• Weber Drive (Hwy. 50 to Third)
• Weil Road (portions contained by or adjacent to City Boundary)
• Wesley Drive (N. Lincoln to Seven Hills)
• Westminster Drive (S. Lincoln to Princeton)
• Wildwood Lane
• Willow Drive
| 
