One of the Vancouver’s top bureaucrats likely made a slew of new friends Friday.
Engineering manager Jerry Dobrovolny suggested employees, students and commuters alike duck out of work or other obligations early Friday to avoid a snow-filled, rush-hour nightmare.
Dobrovolny spoke to the media alongside Mayor Gregor Robertson just before noon Friday to update residents on the city’s snow response.
“It would make sense for people, if they’re able to, to leave early and avoid the evening rush hour so they’re not caught in traffic at the same time as that heavy wave of snow comes,” Dobrovolny said.
Dobrovolny said more than 40 trucks were out dealing with snowfall across the city based on priority routes and that salt and brine was being dropped on roads for the past four or five days.
The city’s clearing efforts prioritize arterial roads, the city’s busiest streets, truck and bus routes and bike lanes.
“Safety is a primary concern for us,” Dobrovolny said. “If we have ice on our busiest bike routes, that creates a huge safety concern for us. We have thousands of cyclists who ride all year.”
Some back lanes will be plowed near steep slopes to allow access for garbage crews. Those whose pickup days were missed Friday are asked to leave their garbage out until Saturday.
Dobrovolny said requests for service to the city are best done so by using the Van Connect app. Information collected through the app gives city crews consolidated data around geographic hot spots where the most requests are coming from.
Both Robertson and Dobrovolny stressed the notion that team work makes the dream work, particularly during a snow fall. Residents can request help with clearing sidewalks or sign up to volunteer to clear sidewalks through the city’s Snow Angels program by calling 3-1-1.
“It’s winter in Canada, we need people to be prepared and to be cautious and keep calm and be patient. We deal with snow and ice as it hits us,” Robertson said.
Dobrovolny was critical of motorists trying to manoeuvre city streets sans snow tires. He said he helped push a handful of cars on Friday morning, none of which had snow tires.
“My experience has been that cars that are getting stuck, that are blocking traffic, don’t have winter tires. We all share a responsibility in winter weather,” he said, adding, “If people do not have winter tires on their vehicles I wouldn’t suggest they drive during a snowfall.”
Dobrovolny previously told the Courier that the cold snap — and resulting snow and ice stuck to city streets and sidewalks through December and into January — has cost the city more than $3 million.
That tab is expected to increase for extensive road repairs, though updated budget forecasts weren’t made available on Friday.
— With files from Mike Howell
