Discussion:
In accordance with City Code 90.04, after snow has ceased to be deposited, snow removal on public sidewalks must be completed within 24 hours on commercial property and within 36 hours on property zoned other than commercial. As per City Council direction on December 6, 1994, the Public Works Department shall maintain snow removal on all sidewalks and trails that abut collector streets and county roadways. Property owners are required to remove snow on all other sidewalks and trails along "local" streets. Per city policy, plowing by the city is not required unless there is an accumulation of 2" or more.
The city has a total of 165.9 miles of sidewalks and trails. Last season through the winter of 2019/2020 the city plowed 81.4 miles. An additional 6.5 miles are recommended to be added as follows:
- CH 17 (trails on the west and east side from CH 78 to Wood Duck Trail)
- Shenandoah Drive (trail on the east side from CH 101 to Eastway Avenue)
- Shenandoah Drive (trail on the west side from Eastway Avenue to Vierling Drive)
- Shenian Street (trail on the east side from Shenandoah Drive to Eagle Creek Boulevard)
- 12th Avenue/Quarry Lake Park/Innovation Boulevard (trail on the south side of 12th Avenue from CH 83 to Gateway Drive, along Gateway Drive to the existing trail on the north side of Fed Ex, then to Quarry Lake Park along Innovation Blvd, and along Innovation Boulevard to Valley Park Drive)
- Upper Valley Drainage Trail (trail from Alysheba Road to Shenandoah Drive, there are two connections on Shenandoah Drive)
- Windermere Way (trail west side from 17th Avenue East to 128th Street West)
- Windermere linear park (trail behind the homes along the bluff, connecting at two locations on Windermere Way and at Linwood Circle)
- Eagle Creek Blvd (trail on the south side from Foothill Trail South to Spring Lake Court)
The total length of sidewalks and trails to be plowed during the winter of 2020/2021 is 87.9 miles (see attached Sidewalk and Trail Snow Plowing Map).
For almost the past 20 years, Public Works has maintained seven plow routes for sidewalks and trails. Within this time, the City of Shakopee added over 40 plowing miles, which has added approximately 15 hours to current routes. As part of the 2020/2021 season, an eighth route will be added. With the additional two parks staff that were added in 2020, we are able to reallocate existing equipment and add this additional route, resulting in being able to start plowing sidewalks and trails sooner (which typically starts after roadways and parking lots are cleared).
Of note, it is policy that the designated trails and sidewalks should be cleared as thoroughly as possible but need not be cleared of all ice and snow (e.g. compacted snow) nor need they be maintained to bare pavement. Additionally, in extreme snow events, it should be understood that the timelines for sidewalks and trails can be delayed while prioritizing the snow and ice control on the public roadways for safety reasons.