Street Maintenance


RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Maintenance of all City streets, traffic signs, and traffic signals, pothole patching, crack sealing, and street sweeping
  • Right-of-ways
  • Right-of-way mowing
  • Snow plowing

RIGHT OF WAY MOWING

Right-of-way shall mean property owned by the City for use by the public as a means of passage; and shall include the street, alley, sidewalks, and parkway.

Whenever it's not raining, residents can count on crews to cut the grass along the City's right of way and medians. The season generally begins in April and will continue through October. The mowing schedule is dependent on weather conditions. An abundance of rain or drought conditions can impact mowing days. Continuous rains can create a surge in weed and grass growth. The City is responsible for cutting right of way locations throughout the city.

SNOW REMOVAL

Sugar Creek Public Works is responsible for the snow removal of nearly 33 lane miles of city streets. For snow removal operations, city streets have been divided into four priority categories.

First priority is given to roadways designated as emergency snow routes or primary thoroughfares. Once those main roadways have been cleared, road crews will move on to plowing secondary priority collector streets and progressing through the route priorities in order, with the lowest traveled residential streets service last.

The City’s goal is to clear all priority routes within 24 hours after plowing begins. Plowing commences as soon as snow depth reaches more than one inch of accumulation. To aid in clearing streets of snow and ice, salt and sand are applied.

The City does not salt or plow privately, and will not remove snow deposited by snowplows in driveways or next to mailboxes. Snow removal on parking lots and sidewalks is the property owner’s responsibility.

Residents’ “slick street” calls are handled as quickly as possible, however, road crews do not deviate from our emergency route clearance unless a police or fire emergency arises.

How You Can Help

Public Works offers these tips to help expedite snow removal and ensure public safety:
Make sure to have the proper snow or all weather tires on your vehicle to prevent you from getting stuck.

If possible, park vehicles off of the street and don’t allow your vehicles to hang into the road from the driveway. Cars in the roadway hinder the performance of the snow removal operations. 

Shovel the snow to the right side of the driveway as you face the street. This will lessen the amount of snow windrows left at the mouth of the driveway when the snowplows come by. These windrows cannot be prevented, but residents can minimize the problem by clearing a 15-feet long area of the curbline in advance of the drive. Most, but not all, of the snow from the plow will be deposited in the clear area.

Stay back at least 50 feet from the rear of the plow truck so the driver can see you. Remember, if you can’t see the driver in his mirrors, he can’t see you.

Children are attracted to snowplows. Teach your children to stay behind the sidewalks when plows approach.

If trash pickup day coincides with plowing activities, make sure your trash and recycling bins are well behind the curb or in the driveway so plows will not hit them.