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Snow Operations

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1. Why can't you plow my street now?

We wish we had enough snow plows and drivers to take care of every street right away, but our resources are limited, so we must adhere to a carefully laid out system for clearing the streets. If we allowed our plows to be diverted each time a special request is made, it would take longer to get all streets in the city cleared. Plowing priorities are: 1) State trunklines and major streets; 2) Battle Creek Transit bus routes and around schools; 3) residential streets; 4) cul-de-sacs and alleys.

We estimate that it takes three days to plow the entire city.

2. The plow left some snow at the end of my driveway. Can you send someone to plow it out?

There are approximately 17,000 residential driveways in the city. If we used all of our plows and spent just 60 seconds per driveway, it would take several days to clear driveways alone.
One thing you can do to minimize the problem is to clear snow to the right side of your driveway (facing your house from the street). This gives some of the snow a place to go as the plow goes by, to minimize what ends up in your driveway.
The city does not plow private driveways. Click here for image of where to clear snow.

3. I own a business downtown. How are streets plowed in the Central Business District?

Streets and alleys in the Central Business District are treated separately from other snow and ice control operations, because snow storage within the street and alley rights-of-way is not desirable.
Snow removal is normally accomplished by hauling the snow to various locations in the city; much of this happens overnight, when traffic is minimal.

4. Can you tell me exactly when my street will be plowed?

We are not able to give you an estimate of when your street will be cleared, due to ever-changing weather conditions.
As weather conditions change, we often must alter our snow-fighting strategy in the middle of the snow removal operations, so we can try to control drifting snow, ice, or other special problems.

5. Why don't the trucks plow and salt on the way to their routes?

Each snow plow has an assigned section. If the trucks spread salt on the way to their destination, they won't have enough to spread in their sections. Plus, other drivers passing through may plow off the salt without realizing it. Plowing along the way would mean that it would take that much longer for the truck to reach its assigned section.

6. Why don't you use the big trucks to plow cul-de-sacs?

A plow can easily cut a path through the snow on a straight road surface, but trying to plow and turn the blade in the small circle of a cul-de-sac is very difficult. Therefore, smaller pickup trucks with plows are used to plow most cul-de-sacs more efficiently than the large trucks. We also plow toward the middle of the street, to avoid filling driveways in this smaller space.
Please note that cul-de-sacs are lower on our plowing priority list, since we have fewer neighbors living on them. We ask for your patience and our trucks will get to you.

7. I just cleared my sidewalk and the plow filled it in. Is there something you can do?

As we plow from curb to curb, snow may fall onto the sidewalks. Unfortunately, there are some areas where the curb lawn is narrow and the plowed snow covers the sidewalks. Some have suggested the plows go through these areas at a slower speed so the snow is not thrown that far. However, plows must maintain a certain speed to keep the snow from sticking to the blades. We also do not store snow on the curb lawn because it can cause visibility problems for traffic.

8. Why don't you plow down the middle of the street, to open it to traffic faster?

Our practice is to plow from curb to curb, which is why you see our plow trucks typically make three or more passes on each side of the street. This is to clear the street as much as possible the first time we come through; due to changing weather conditions, we might not be back for awhile. Snow that is left behind will harden, making it more difficult to remove when we return.

9. I hire someone to plow my driveway. Is there anything I should know?

Yes -- According to the Michigan Vehicle Code (Section 257.677a), a person cannot place snow, ice, or slush on any road or highway. Residents clearing their own snow, or private companies hired to do so, must keep the snow on your property.

10. Why do you sometimes salt instead of plow, or plow instead of salt?

Different weather events require the use of different techniques. The decision whether to salt or plow depends on the weather conditions. For example, if the temperature is below 20 degrees and not expected to rise, salt will not be effective. But if the sun is shining, and the temperature is 20 degrees or higher and expected to stay stead or rise, then salt would be more effective.
Plowing under the wrong conditions can create a polished street surface, resulting in dangerous glare ice.

11. I saw a plow parked at a restaurant during a snow storm. Why wasn't it out working?

Driving a snow plow is demanding, tiring work. Common sense and good safety practices dictate that, during an eight-hour shift, a driver should take a 15-minute break every four hours and a 30-minute lunch break. In fact, this is required in their contracts. It is dangerous, both for the plow driver and the public, if a fatigued driver is behind the wheel of a snow plow. It is in the best interest of all concerned for drivers to take occasional breaks.

12. Why do I sometimes see plow trucks on the streets when it's not snowing?

There are several possible reasons:
-Every driver participates in pre-season training. Skills must be sharpened and routes must be learned and relearned.
-Trucks may be scanning the city for secondary clearing opportunities (like where vehicles were parked during plowing, which have since moved). This happens often.
-Trucks also may be hauling snow, and be returning from a drop-off.

13. Why aren't plows on the roads in anticipation of a big storm in the forecast?

The short answer is that we just don't have the staff or resources to do this. Plus, as weather conditions can change quickly, this could waste time by working crews that have nothing to plow. Both Field Services and the Police Department monitor weather changes so we can call in crews as needed.
From December to March (or however the winter season falls), we generally have 24-hour coverage during the week, with staff covering weekends as weather conditions require.

14. Salt corrodes my car, sidewalk, and driveway. Can you use sand instead?

We generally don't use sand because, in an urban setting like Battle Creek, sand washes into and can clog our storm sewers. However, there are occasions when we will use a small amount of sand, when roads are extremely icy and temperatures are extremely low. If we see a lot of hard-packed snow at an intersection and salt isn't working, we will use sand. We do not use sand downtown.

15. I have a heart condition. Can you plow my street in case there is an emergency?

The potential for a medical emergency does not warrant priority treatment. Anyone needing an ambulance in a medical emergency should call 911 and the situation will be handled in an appropriate manner.

16. What are the winter parking rules?

We do not have residential parking rules. However, we do suggest, if you see a snow plow pass, that you please consider moving your car if it's parked on the street.

17. What should I do if a plow hits and damages my mailbox?

Please call our Field Services staff at 269-966-3507. We replace damaged mailboxes, which were in previously good condition, on a case-by-case basis.

18. Why haven't you cleared the city-owned sidewalk near my house?

Sidewalks are a lower priority and our crews begin that work when possible, once roads are cleared. We have 300 miles of roads within the city limits and 25 crew members who plow in the 13 maintenance sections of the city. 

When we're able, we clear city-owned sidewalks around our parks, cemeteries, and several other areas.

We do also have designated snow removal priority areas -- in particular around schools and public transportation routes. For more information on our sidewalk ordinance (Chapter 1022), please call our Code Compliance Division, 269-966-3387.

Priority Snow Removal Map

19. Who is responsible for plowing our county and state roads?

-Calhoun County plows most of Dickman Road, M-66 from Hamblin Avenue to south of town, from the city limits north near Verona, Raymond Road, Morgan Road, and East Avenue north of Roosevelt.
-The City of Battle Creek contracts with the Michigan Department of Transportation so that we plow state trunklines like Capital NE and Columbia Avenue, and sections of Helmer Road.
-The city and City of Springfield share the plowing of Goguac Street.

20. What do we spend on snow plowing?

For the 2018-2019 season, we have a budget of roughly $2.1 million, which includes major, local, and MDOT roads. Plowing is funded by state Public Act 51 money, which comes from the gas and weight taxes. Local taxes do not fund snow plowing operations. Overall, our budgets have started to increase, but we face increased expenses. We deal with fuel costs, equipment costs (a dump truck cost $70,000 in 2000 and $125,000 in 2012), and salt costs.

We place two salt orders for the year. In 2018-2019, our early order (October delivery) was 500 tons at $60.43 per ton. Our seasonal order (throughout the winter) was 5,500 tons at $54.45 per ton. Total, that's nearly $330,000 for the season.