I live in the south part of Didsbury in Southridge. On Feb. 8, for the first time since winter began, our streets were cleared. Unfortunately, I would not call what they did as "clearing."
For that to have occurred, whoever was operating the equipment would have had to actually lower the blade to the level of where the pavement lay beneath the ice and snow. Rather than do that, only a top level was removed. Think of it as a trim versus a buzz cut.
Our streets in this part of town were already icy and hazardous. Afterwards there was little difference as by removing only the top layer the ice remained to challenge us all whether one was walking or driving.
Crescents were completely ignored although it would not have taken much effort to clear as they are in reality a part of the street which just happens to curve slightly.
To clarify, cul-de-sacs are horseshoe shaped whereas crescents are similar to a quarter moon shape. Absolutely no street in our area of town is free of ice and the ruts created and remain a serious hazard. Think of driving your vehicle on terrain used by ATVs.
An occasional dusting of sand around corners does not provide much help nor does it cover the more than obvious shine and gleam of continuous stretches of ice.
It costs time and money for equipment, salaries and sand but if only a half-assed job is done, it is a waste of resources and money.
My solution to this problem is simple. When clearing the residential streets lower the blade to cut down and through the ice and snow scraping the pavement leaving a bare minimum of ice and/or snow exposed.
Doing it properly the first time makes further maintenance less frequent. It will also save time and money in the long-term.
We are not the only area of town with this issue but a little common sense in how to make our tax dollars stretch in regards to public works would do wonders for our town. That and getting the job done right the first time.
Annette Scott,
Didsbury
