Kirstin Davis, Communications Manager – Public Works, 509.625.7773
Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 12:59 p.m.
Every year the City of Spokane’s Streets department dedicates hours and resources to prepare for snow removal and street maintenance. This includes materials research, training for designated and extra staff, equipment upgrades and efficiency with logistics. The City has 2,200 lane miles of streets including 750 lane miles of arterials. If you love stats and data, we think you’ll be impressed!
Total # of Staff Hours = 1,512 (that’s 63 days)
Average # of Vehicles = 25-30 per 24-hour period
Granular Deicer/Sand/Salt = 544 tons (that’s the weight of nearly 420 compact cars)
Liquid Deicer = 173,709 gallons (that’s over 4,135 bathtubs worth)
Total # of Miles of Streets Traveled = 7,062 (that’s like driving from Spokane to Miami, FL and back)
Weather events are different every time. The systems that come through Dec. 16-19 had some variables. First on Thursday, it was raining and then dropped four degrees in about an hour, turning all that water to smooth ice on the streets timed with the evening commute. City crews switched to almost exclusively granular deicer and sand at that point and simultaneously progress was slowed by the congested traffic that resulted from people driving slowly home.
The City’s snow plan is designed to be flexible so crews can respond to changing conditions. Adding satellite locations with materials and supplies increases that flexibility. Snow response is part art and part science. Forecasts help, but they aren’t perfect either.
Residents and businesses are an important part of the response plan and can help in the following ways:
