Got questions?

When is it your street's turn for a plow?

Is it OK to blow your snow in the street? (asking for a friend)

Why does your alley sometimes get plowed before your street?

Well, Bismarck...hmm?

If you head to BismarckND.Gov you'll have a variety of your snow-related questions answered in one convenient location. Wait a minute, is this another story about snow in Bismarck? Well Frosty, is there something else you'd like to discuss?

If you hadn't heard...snow-meggedon has arrived in Bismarck and we are intrigued.

So let's hear what the City of Bismarck has to say under their Frequently Asked Questions! Where's all this snow gonna go and more importantly when is it going to go there?  So first off...

What can I expect regarding snow removal prior to, during and after the storm?

• The City is divided into seven plowing sections. Each section has a motor grader, a loader, and a sander truck working in it. This results in more efficient operation and eliminates piles of snow in the roadway that may become obstructions to vehicles.

• There are two 12 hour shifts per day, providing 24-hour snow clearing.

• We have 31 employees that maintain 370 center line miles or 1,480 lane miles.

PRIORITY 1: Snow Emergency Routes (Red). These streets are cleaned to ensure police, fire, and ambulance crews have access to any emergency situation.

PRIORITY 2: School Routes (Blue). As soon as the snow emergency routes are cleared, all units move to school routes. These streets interconnect high volume streets and complete the major street network. If it is a weekend or holiday, schools will not be done at this time but will be done with regular residential plowing prior to the schools reopening.

PRIORITY 3: Major Arterials (Yellow). As soon as the snow emergency routes and schools are cleared, units move onto the major arterial streets.

PRIORITY 4: Residential and Downtown Streets. Once Priorities 1, 2, and 3 are cleared and open, plows move into residential streets in their sections, concentrating first on the areas with the heaviest traffic and worst conditions. Generally, we plow these residential streets if there is 4 or more inches of snow accumulation.

Not mentioned- PRIORITY 5: Your street.

Just kidding, the City of Bismarck does a heck of a job. But, I just moved to a new neighborhood. Ask me what I think after this week.  Maybe I now live next to you in PRIORITY 5.

How about if I "just kinda" blow my snow in the street?

 

Depositing snow from driveways and sidewalks into the street is prohibited by City ordinance (10-03- 04) and creates a traffic hazard by leaving windrows or piles of snow in travel lanes. The fine or penalty for the violation shall not exceed $1,500.00, and the imprisonment shall not exceed thirty days.

So if you're OK with a fine of $1,500 and 30 days in the hole, go ahead and keep pushing and blowing your snow in the street.  Your neighbors are reading this and have 911 on their phones.  But it's difficult to go down the driveway and somehow turn around with your basket still full of snow and deposit it all in your yard.  Maybe if you just dump a little it's only a $500 fine and two weekends in the hole.

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Why is my alley plowed and my street ain't been touched!

Now, this ALWAYS seems almost personal. In my last location, almost everybody just had trash cans along the alley.  There were a few crazy folks that parked out in the alley. Not like the street...y'know the street, where everyone drives. Yet sometimes my alley would be plowed before my street. Are ya kidding me!!

Why doesn't the City plow alleys?

Alleys provide access for off-street parking and other public utilities and services, such as garbage collection. The Public Works Waste Department plows the alleys where garbage is collected. If the snow makes garbage collection difficult, the alley will be plowed the day before the garbage is collected.

Plus remember to shovel all your darn snow within 24 hours of it hitting the ground.

Oh right, one more thing...y'all are on the clock.

City Ordinance 10-03-04 requires owners and/or tenants to remove snow and ice from their sidewalk including the crosswalk of corner lots within 24 hours after a snow event has stopped. If it is not removed it may be removed by the City and the cost assessed to the property. To report sidewalk issues, call the City Engineering Department at 701-355-1505 or use a Citizen Request.

 

Sidewalks that are the City’s responsibility to clear will be done once the streets are cleared of snow.

Folks from Mandan might say that their city sidewalks might not then get cleared for three weeks!  Ah, Mandan, I'm laughing with you.  Seems tho' that sometimes your snow kinda settles in for a while. Do what you can I guess.

Bismarck check more Frequently Asked Questions at BismarckND.Gov


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