DIFFERENTIATED WINTER SERVICE IN CITIES

Traditional winter service in cities needs to be reviewed as a consequence of the changing requirements and expectations. Winter service in cities is no longer just a matter of salt spreading and snow removal to conform to the requirements of environmental protection and highway safety. Winter service in big cities is now expected to provide a level above the statutory requirements but is also limited by financial and human resources that are available. The latest research findings offer a way of providing a more effective, environmentally-friendly and economical winter service. The new findings have been made with regards to the effect of skid-proofing, the differentiated application of spreading salt and not gritting at all to a large extent, the effects of removing the snow increasingly with mechanical means as well as the introduction of a specific road condition and weather information system (SWIS), which includes its own skid warning system. The objectives of the differentiated winter service in cities could be redefined as: (1) exact and selected observation of the road and weather conditions by utilizing and evaluating the best possible information; (2) increasing mechanical snow removal with the aim of reducing the use of gritting materials; (3) the use of deicing salt with a high thawing effect as well as the strict use of wet salt and by observing the required minimum quantities depending on the relevant weather conditions; (4) avoidance of gritting the roadways and secondary roads; (5) permanent assessment of the operating parameters of winter service and the fritting quantities specifically consumed; (6) optimal equipment on vehicles as well as the storage and loading facilities in order to minimize operation and loading time; (7) optimization of snow removal and gritting route depending on the specific local traffic and weather conditions; (8) improved training for operating staff; and (9) intensified public relation efforts in order to inform communities about the role and the scope of winter services.