The City of Cambridge is looking ahead to next winter and the ways it can improve winter maintenance after a difficult season on the roads.
Cambridge Councillor Helen Schwery brought forward a motion to council on Thursday evening, looking for an explanation from staff of the provincial minimum maintenance standards for winter operations, a review of the challenges faced over this winter season, and for staff to present options to enhance current levels of service so that snow removal and the salting of residential roads can be improved.
“We recognize that the systems and resources we had in place were not sufficient to manage the severity of this winter, particularly the back-to-back storms,” said City Manager Rob Axiak in response to a room full of residents looking for answers. “We know that we need to improve, and we’re committed to improving how we prepare and respond.”
Those delegates at Thursday’s meeting were pleading with the city to improve road maintenance for next year, claiming that roads, sidewalks, accessible parking spaces and bus stops in the city were poorly maintained.
“For over two weeks, I couldn’t get up the hill. Since December, I’ve only left my home three times,” said Sean Hoss, a Cambridge resident who uses a power chair for transportation.
Delegates claimed that seniors and people living with disabilities had to go without care at times this winter because personal care workers were unable to make the commute to their homes on the snow-covered roads.
“Beyond the damage to personal vehicles, the overall safety and accessibility of our roads have been unacceptable,” said Cambridge resident Janice Ellacott in a letter to council. “When plows did arrive, they often cleared only a single lane of the road rather than ensuring two safe lanes of travel.”
More than 200 cm of snow has fallen on Waterloo Region this season, leading to plenty of work for road maintenance crews who are battling against the elements and a shortage of road salt.
The winter season began early this year, with the first significant snowfall recorded in early November. In part because of all that snow, regional police have received reports of 4,600 crashes this season, more than the 4,300 reported last winter.
“Let’s not forget that bylaw enforcement has generated over $200,000 in parking fines during snow events; let’s wisely ‘invest’ these monies back into investigating and implementing solutions that address the problem,” wrote T. Miller, a Cambridge resident, in correspondence sent to Cambridge council.
Councillors and delegates thanked crews for the hard work they put into maintaining roadways and sidewalks in the face of challenges.
