Portland's Ready for Winter

Portland, Maine - Portland winter operations crews are ready for winter. With 8,000 tons of salt and forty-two plow units, Public Services teams are prepared for twenty-four hour a day storm operations during which 566 lane miles of road and 95 miles of sidewalks will be cleared of snow and ice.

The city reminds residents of the following during a snow storm:

Motorists are encouraged to avoid driving until roads are clear and safe for travel.

Provide plow units and snow blowers ample room to maneuver.  Operators often turn and back while working to clear snow.

Residents are responsible for removing snow from the sidewalk in front of their property within 24 hours of the city ending its plowing operations. Clear sidewalks allow for the safe travel of school children, mail carriers and pedestrians young and old.

If a sidewalk in front of a property has not been cleared, talk to your neighbor. Some people need help clearing the snow or do not know about the city ordinance. If that does not work, you can call 874-8493 to report the specific property. City personnel will then investigate based upon priority (peninsula and commercial properties first). If the property is in violation, it will be noticed and the owner will have 24 hours to clear the sidewalk.

Two five gallon buckets of a sand and salt mix are available to Portland residents for use at their homes. The sand is located at the Deering Oaks parking lot adjacent to State Street behind the Castle in the Park at in front of the Cummings Community Center at 134 Congress Street.

Residents able to park off-street should do so in order to allow crews to remove snow from the streets and emergency vehicles to travel as safely and efficiently as possible.

If parking your car on the street, please park as close to the snowbank/curb as possible. Often people park several feet away from the curb in order to allow passengers to move in and out of the car easily. Parking the car in this manner shortens the width of the street by several feet, making it difficult for Portland snowplows to clear the street safely and emergency vehicles to respond as quickly as possible to a fire or medical emergency. If the street is impassible for an emergency vehicle, the vehicle will be towed.

Pedestrians should use caution while walking on city sidewalks. Crews work actively to keep Portland Downtown District and school routes clear. However, extreme conditions can cause iced-over walkways. To view a map of city sidewalks cleared by Public Services crew, visit the city’s website at http://click.portlandmaine.gov/GISPortal/pdfmaps.html and click on Sidewalk Plow Map.
Residents are reminded to keep their front and back entrances clear and safe for walking.
Members of the community are encouraged to help the Portland Fire Department by keeping their neighborhood fire hydrants clear of snow and ice.

Citizens can sign up to receive notices of citywide parking bans electronically at www.portlandmaine.gov, Twitter (PortlandCitylin) and Facebook (Portland Cityline).

Should you have any winter related questions, please call our Public Services Dispatch Center at 874-8493. We will be available 24 hours per day until April 1.