City of Lincoln, NE

11/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/08/2024 13:34

LTU Outlines Winter Operations Preparedness Plan

LTU Outlines Winter Operations Preparedness Plan

Published on November 08, 2024

Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) today announced its winter operations plan, designed to ensure safe driving conditions and keep traffic flowing smoothly throughout the season. The FY2024/25 Winter Operations budget is $6,585,000.

"Our commitment to providing safe and accessible transportation for all needs, from work and school to medical visits and grocery trips remains steadfast," said LTU Director Liz Elliott. "We prepare year-round for winter, leveraging advanced technology to increase our efficiency with each storm, ensuring Lincoln's streets stay safe and traffic flows smoothly all season long."

The City operates 12 multi-use trucks equipped to spray anti-icing brine, spread granular salt pre-wet with brine, and plow snow from Lincoln's streets. To prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement, the City uses custom brine-making and filling equipment, which allows for faster response times and reduces salt use by 19% on average, cutting deicing costs annually by 43%.

Tim Byrne, Maintenance and Operations Manager, highlighted the City's dedication to providing high-quality customer service and ensuring residents stay informed before, during, and after each winter storm.

"Our team has made significant improvements to our Winter Operations program over the past several years," Byrne said. "Along with fine-tuning our processes, we are committed to engaging our community and continuously developing tools to keep residents and visitors updated on plowing progress through every stage of the storm and cleanup."

Byrne encourages residents to review a variety of customer service and education tools at lincoln.ne.gov/snow to help the community monitor street conditions during active storms. They include:

  • Sign up for daily Winter Operation email updates.
  • Follow LTU on Facebook @LTULincoln, on X at @LTULNK, and tune into local media sources.
  • View the City's Winter Operations educational videos and Frequently Asked Questions.
  • Watch the City's plowing progress in real-time on the Snowplow Tracker map.
  • Five companies are under contract to assist with winter operations when needed.

When considering making a residential snow-related service request during a winter storm, residents may do the following:

  • Watch - Watch for the storm to end. Crews are only able to respond to resident service requests after priority streets have been fully serviced.
  • Review - Review the Snowplow Tracker and the Residential Snowplow Tracker at lincoln.ne.gov/snow to monitor snowplowing progress. Please pause residential street requests unless your service area is shaded in dark green, which means it has been serviced, inspected, and approved. If your service area is not shaded in dark green, crews are still plowing and may solve your issue soon.
  • Request - If your service area is shaded in dark green but requires additional attention, residents can make a service request at lincoln.ne.gov/UPLNK. Snowfighters will address service requests after priority snowplowing is complete.

Vehicle owners are encouraged to plan for alternative parking options in anticipation of potential parking bans. In 2024, these bans prohibit parking on the even-numbered sides of streets, shifting to odd-numbered sides in 2025. Lincoln's plows, which are wide and require extra space, need clear paths to plow effectively and keep streets accessible for drivers.

Additional winter reminders include:

  • Avoid parking on streets during snow operations, even if no formal parking bans are in place.
  • Drive cautiously around crews clearing snow and ice.
  • Clear sidewalks, including curb cuts, and ensure fire hydrants and mailboxes are free from snow and ice.
  • The Snow Angels Volunteer Program offers shoveling assistance by connecting neighbors in need with volunteers willing to help.

The volunteer program and all other winter operation resources are available at lincoln.ne.gov/snow.