The Edmonton Method - Snow Removal

[ntt1]

Just a clown show of a day out there in Whikwentowin and west central. Embarrassing. Loved helping to pick up an elderly man who had flipped his scooter in snow on the sidewalk in our densest urban neighborhood of 20k people.

Bike lanes are a joke. Private sidewalks a mess. Alleys horrible. It’s been A WEEK. Wtf.

Beyond frustrated. Happy New Years to everyone but the incompetent COE.

Only safe sidewalks for biking on? Marigold managed ones so it’s confirmed… literally just a skill issue by COE cause marigold figured it out…

Same with the Ledcor-maintained sidewalks near the Capital Line construction. Perfectly clear and maintained, whereas the COE ones nearby are a complete mess.

 

[degrandprix]

I cycled from Duggan to Belgravia last night and all the MUPs along my route (111st, 115st, Saskatchewan Dr) were bladed and in great shape. Guess I just got lucky?

 

[IanO]

Ok, so will any of the windrows in core part of the city get addressed/removed?

On 109st, one of the major arterials into and out of the Downtown, there is no turning lane now to go left onto 87ave while heading north on 109st, so traffic backs up halfway to Whyte. On 109st south of 100ave, there is no left turning lane onto 99ave and so the left lane is now backed up past 100ave at times.

I don't expect all of them to be removed in short order, but how in the world are the major arteries and key areas Downtown not done a week later?

 

[The_Cat]

Does the city ever think that, with the warm temperatures coming next week, the city could clear the windrows and plow some of the snow before it melts and creates muck?

 

[ntt1]

Does the city ever think that, with the warm temperatures coming next week, the city could clear the windrows and plow some of the snow before it melts and creates muck?

Our snow clearing strategies have never really felt like an attempt to be proactive. Always a few days (or weeks) behind.

 

[Yeggy]

Our snow clearing strategies have never really felt like an attempt to be proactive. Always a few days (or weeks) behind.

We had proactive measures that cleared ice and snow on top of increasing safety. People got mad at having to wash their cars more to get the potassium chloride off.

 

[kcantor]

We had proactive measures that cleared ice and snow on top of increasing safety. People got mad at having to wash their cars more to get the potassium chloride off.

It was more than getting mad at having to wash cars more often.

The city still uses proactive measures that include the use calcium chloride as well as sand (often in combination) and salt. Calcium chloride is effective at much lower temperatures than salt.

In their use of potassium chloride, they couldn’t seem to get the applications right which in turn increased its corrosiveness to stainless steel and concrete and embedded rebar to the extent it was a structural concern for both public and private infrastructure. It also has a tendency to create more and larger potholes.

 

[Windermere]

Whatever they spray on the Henday always gets the job done.

 

[Yeggy]

Whatever they spray on the Henday always gets the job done.

Its Potassium Chloride.

 

[kcantor]

Its Potassium Chloride.

I’m pretty sure they use calcium chloride and sand and salt - just like Edmonton - except for the bridge which uses liquid potassium acetate which is biodegradable and less corrosive than potassium chloride.

 

[archited]

Calcium Chloride is a salt as is sodium chloride (table salt).

 

[kcantor]

Calcium Chloride is a salt as is sodium chloride (table salt).

That’s like saying iron is a metal as are gold and lead and copper…

So yes, calcium chloride and sodium chloride And and potassium chloride etc. are all sales but they have different chemical compositions and they have different properties/attributes - particularly when dissolved - at different temperatures.

 

[archited]

I was just stating the obvious as you so often do like it is some king of aha moment. I took a few years of inorganic chemistry so when I read...

I’m pretty sure they use calcium chloride and sand and salt

I thought maybe you were confused.

 

[kcantor]

...
I thought maybe you were confused.

All of the time! Much of what I see and read confuses me. That's why I look for clarification and clarity and accuracy wherever I can, sometimes asking for it and sometimes trying to provide it, Sorry that bothers you so much - must be all of that California sunshine.

PS Road salt, like table salt, is sodium chloride, not calcium chloride or potassium chloride or potassium nitrate or any of the other inorganic chemistry compounds classified as salts even when they are applied to roadways.

 

[archited]

It d-d-d-doesn't b-b-b-bother me; what gave you th-th-that idea. Actually, road salt is more likely not to be nacl; it is more likely to be one of the other salts -- less toxic to the environment. But who could argue with someone who has a grasp on everything, no matter the subject.