By Shannon Lukens.
Winter Parking Restrictions go into effect today. Do not park on city streets overnight in Steamboat. (More details are below.)
Residents are asked to remove things from the right-of-way before the snow really starts to fall. That includes campers, cars, boats, trailers, basketball hoops, garbage cans, etc. Residents are also reminded to not plow snow from their driveway out onto, or across the road. This creates a hazard for snow plow operators.
Parking restrictions in Hayden are from midnight to 7 a.m. on city streets, alleys, or highways.
No parking on Main Street in Oak Creek overnight. Residents on side streets have to move their cars within 24 hours of a snowfall.
In Craig, there is no parking on the street in the Shadow Mountain subdivision today through April 1. Also keep roadways clear of all vehicles and trailers. This will be enforced 24 hours a day. Here are the streets that are impacted: West Ninth Street (2100 to 2300 block), Sunrise Lane, Aspen Avenue, Sequoia Avenue, Cottonwood Avenue, Ponderosa Way, Alder Place, Birch Place, Cedar Place, Redwood Place, Willow Street, and Maple Street.
Moffat County Sheriff’s Deputies will also be conducting extra patrols in the area. That’s who to call with questions or issues. 970-824-4495.
This is so snowplow drivers can do their job, and you could get a ticket if you leave your car on the street.
Snow plowing in Steamboat Springs covers 160 lane miles of streets, six miles of alleys, nearly 50 parking lots and 106 cul-de-sacs.
City of Steamboat Springs Snow Maintenance website
- During the winter season, Streets crews maintain an aggressive plowing schedule to manage an average of 300 inches of snowfall per year and keep roadways clear for vehicle traffic. Winter maintenance crews work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to clear snow and ice from city streets. In addition, Streets Division personnel are on call 24 hours a day year-round to respond to urgent matters.
- Streets uses an average of 2,800 tons of scoria per winter season to improve traction on city streets. The City applies scoria material to collector streets and on bus/emergency vehicle routes and roads that have steep grades and is also applied at major intersections where stopping and turning are difficult.
- Please keep a few points in mind to help us out during the busy winter season:
- Be patient. Streets maintenance is prioritized according to public safety requirements and traffic volumes with a focus on access routes for emergency vehicles, bus and commercial routes, and then residential areas. Snow operations are labor intensive and equipment does fail on occasion.
- Observe “No Parking 2-8 a.m.” signs. During the late night and early morning hours, crews plow and haul snow away from commuter and side streets.
- Be a good neighbor. It is unlawful to push or plow your snow into or across the roadway. Homeowners and residents are responsible for maintaining their own driveways and parking areas. Your snow must be disposed of on your own property. Disposing of snow in roadways will only affect your neighbor. This code will be enforced and fines may apply.
- Snowplow Safety. Snow removal crews work long hours to keep the streets safe and we ask for everyone’s cooperation to help keep them safe as well. Remember, plow trucks cannot stop or turn as readily as most vehicles. Please allow ample space for our snowplows to maneuver freely.
Residential Neighborhoods
Plowing Strategy. As a general rule, snow on residential neighborhood streets is plowed half to one side, half to the other side of each street. This is done by circling city blocks, starting in the center of the street with a motor grader equipped with a snow plow wing attachment. We work our way to the sides of the street where we leave the snow in the city right-of-way, which we call the “snow storage area”.
Snow Storage. The City’s snow storage area is located on private property in the first five feet from the outside edge of the asphalt or curb and gutter. This space is otherwise known as the “public right-of-way.”
Driveways & Windows. When plowing is required, snow piles called “windrows” are created across driveways. Removal of this snow in driveways is the responsibility of the property owner. Crews make every attempt to keep this issue to a minimum and we ask citizens to be patient and recognize that during the winter months there will be some inconvenience. If snow from residential sidewalks, driveways or mailbox areas is put in the street it will be plowed back to the side of the road to remove the safety hazard from the street which can inadvertently result in a windrow across your or your neighbor’s driveway.
Sidewalks, Mailboxes & Alleyways. All snow from private property or adjacent sidewalks must be stored on private property and not in the City’s snow storage area located in the public right-of-way. Please note that the city is not responsible for snow removal on or around sidewalks, driveways or mailboxes. Within the City of Steamboat Springs, adjacent property owners/tenants are responsible for proper same-day removal of snow from sidewalks, without depositing the snow into the city streets.
We also plow to the end of each core alley. Please do not place snow from private property into the snow piles at the end of the alleyways as this creates a safety hazard. Moving snow from private property to the City’s snow storage area in the public right-of-way is in violation of Municipal Codes Sec. 20-5 and Sec. 15-6, Paragraph 7 (PDF).
Privately Contracted Snow Plowing Services. Property owners and privately contracted plow services should be aware that the placing, dumping or pushing of snow onto city streets or right-of-ways from adjacent properties is prohibited. Steamboat Municipal Codes: Sec. 20-5 and Sec. 15-6, Paragraph 7
City of Steamboat Springs Winter Snow Brochure
City of Steamboat Springs Winter Driving
Press release from the City of Steamboat Springs; Oct. 30, 2023.
November Signals Start of Winter Parking Requirements
No Overnight Parking On City Right-of-Way Between November 1 to April 30
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-October 30, 2023-In a town that measures its snow in feet, not inches, and often receives snow early in the season, November signals the start of seasonal parking requirements so crews can maintain streets, parking lots and alleyways during the winter.
We’re asking for everyone’s help in making that a bit easier by adhering to the city’s winter parking requirements which go into effect this Wednesday,” commented Streets Superintendent David Van Winkle. “Keeping our streets clear and open for travel is our top priority in our community.”
Parking is compounded by snow, which accumulates fast in a mountain town like Steamboat Springs. To expedite snow removal efforts, winter parking is prohibited on city streets and shoulders during the following hours:
Winter parking restrictions run from November 1 through April 30. Vehicles may be ticketed if left on city right-of-way within the restricted hours and/or towed during snowplow operations. Should you receive a parking citation, tickets can be paid online.
| Location | Restricted Hours –
No Overnight |
No Parking
|
| Lincoln Avenue……………………………………… 3-6 a.m.
Stockbridge Transit Center………………….. 12-4 a.m. Ski Time Square……………………………………. 3-6 a.m. Anglers Dr area & south to city limits ……. Midnight – 8 a.m. All Other Areas……………………………………… 2-8 a.m. |
· within 5’ of a driveway
· within 15’ of a fire hydrant · within 20’ of crosswalk or intersection · within 30’ of any traffic control device – including stop signs · in bus stops |
|
In addition, there is no overnight parking/camping on any city street including parking areas such as Howelsen Hill Ski Area, Howelsen Rodeo Grounds, Howelsen Ice Arena, Stockbridge, or Emerald Park.
“We need everyone to familiarize themselves with parking regulations and laws around town as we head into winter,” said Community Service Supervisor Krista Amatuzio. “It’s important to pay attention to timed parking and no parking signs around town.”
Streets are prioritized according to public safety requirements and traffic volumes, with a focus on access routes for emergency vehicles, transit, and commercial routes, before moving into residential areas. Parking complaints can be reported to Police Dispatch at 970.879.1144.
The Routt County Road and Bridge Department has 160 miles of paved roads and 500 miles of gravel roads that are plowed, along with 106 bridges (with 57 bridges over 20 feet in length). Mike Mordi is the Public Works Director for Routt County. He adds, “That is centerline road miles, when they (the crew) go out and back it’s a total of 1,320 lane miles of road that get plowed. We have about 200 miles of road that we do not plow in the winter.”
Mordi says Routt County has 32 fully-staffed, “extremely dedicated operations” that maintain Routt County roads over three county districts. They start their shift at 3 a.m. on storm days and all roads get plowed in that shift. They have about 200 miles of road that do not get plowed in the winter.
The Routt County plow fleet consists of:
- 19 Motor graders
- Six large plow trucks
- Three small plow trucks
- Three front end loaders
- One loader mounted snow blower
Mordi asks that residents remove all objects from the right-of-way before the snow really starts to fall. That includes campers, cars, boats, trailers, basketball hoops, garbage cans, etc.
Residents are also reminded to not plow snow from their driveway out onto, or across the road. This creates a hazard for snow plow operators. The windrow at the end of a resident’s driveway, left by the plow, is the responsibility of the resident. That snow is to be disposed of on their own property.
Here is when Routt County plows:
Under Normal Circumstances
- Days with measurable snow amounts, routes will be plowed in their entirety.
- Days without snow, crews will clean up and push back snow banks on routes as needed. All roads may not receive attention on those days.
- Weekends and holidays are covered by minimal staff whose efforts are concentrated on the paved roads. In the event there is significant snowfall on any weekend day or holiday, the crews maybe called out to plow all roads.
In Extreme Circumstances
- County roads may not receive same day maintenance. First priority roads will be plowed and kept open on extreme snow days.
- Collector roads through subdivisions and lower volume roads may not receive attention on those days.
Routt County Winter Maintenance
City of Craig Road and Bridge Website
It is the mission of the City of Craig Road & Bridge Department to provide the residents and visitors with a clean, safe, durable, convenient, and cost effective street network for both residential and commercial needs.
The Road and Bridge Department has 16 full-time employees who maintain the City’s streets that consist of 52.56 miles of road of which 45.03 are paved and 7.53 are gravel.
Asphalt streets which have been cut up from utilities, water or sewer repairs account for approximately 400 tons of hot and cold asphalt. The road crew repairs these cuts and maintains the integrity of all 52.56 miles of city streets and alleys.
The City’s gravel roads are graded at least twice a year, some roads more than others due to high volume traffic and excessive wear. In the spring roughly 12 tons of magnesium chloride is put down on the roads to control dust. Road base material is added to the gravel roads that have been lost due to winter plowing and maintenance.
The streets in Craig are swept at least 4 times per year. Major streets are swept more frequently. Sweeping is done year round or as weather permits. the sweeper crew also prepares the streets for chip sealing and then will sweep up the excess chips when completed.
The Road and Bridge Department also removes snow from curb to curb and then sands the city streets for added traction and vehicle safety. The crew utilizes 7 dump trucks with sanders, 2 motor graders and 2 pick up trucks with snow plows to accomplish this. Snow removal is done on every storm over 2 inches. The additional sanding will be done as often during winter as needed.
The Road and Bridge Department will also install drainage in the spring and fall and perform an array of odd jobs as necessity dictates.