Transportation

There are many reasons why public organizations outsource work, but in most cases the reason is lower cost. Decisions to outsource can be driven by factors such as prohibitively high equipment costs, seasonal competition for labor, and needs for highly specialized skills.

Most municipal organizations are not equipped to perform large road construction projects. Furthermore, most major road maintenance work is performed in the summer months making it expensive to tie up a lot of money in staff and equipment for such a short time period. Many years ago, City staff painted all of the markings on City roads; however, that practice was discontinued when the high cost of owning and maintaining striping equipment made it much cheaper to contract the service. The same is true for most paving and concrete projects.

Contractors can often provide services at relatively low pricing because they are able to spread the cost of their labor and equipment across multiple municipal customers. Decisions to outsource some of the street work in Longmont are made by managers in the City’s Public Works and Natural Resources department with input coming from employees at all levels.

There are several good places to find information:

1. City of Longmont interactive Cone Zones & Closures map
2. City of Longmont Road and Bridge Construction webpage that highlights City projects under construction as well as those in design
3. Boulder County Transportation
4. Colorado Department of Transportation

During a snow/ice event, we will post updates on road conditions, Monday – Friday, on the City’s Winter Weather Road Report webpage. You can also view road conditions at points around town through our real-time Street Snow Cams.

Information about facility closures and other weather-related news will be posted to the City’s general News & Alerts page.

Longmont’s designated snow routes are designed to create an efficient network for accessibility throughout town using arterial and collector roadways. Arterial roads provide access to destinations across town (east-west or north-south) or to transportation networks outside of town. Collector roads move traffic in/out of neighborhoods and provide access to schools, hospitals, and other local destinations. Collectors also funnel traffic to arterial roadways.

Designated snow routes also must meet certain operational criteria for safety and drivability:

• Avoid left turns and U-turns
• Have available areas to pile snow as needed
• Have no surrounding obstacles or safety hazards

If you have to travel during or after a storm, plan your trip using snow routes as much as possible for the best conditions.

Learn more about the City’s snow & ice control program at LongmontColorado.gov/snow.

The decision to begin snow operations is based on many factors. These factors include predicted weather conditions, air and ground temperatures, and the potential for consecutive storms occurring in a short time period. Planning for a six inch snow storm will vary significantly depending on the month, forecasts, and existing road conditions.

We utilize a variety of advanced monitoring systems to gather timely and accurate information for planning and deployment, including:

• hourly & daily temperatures
• local and long term forecasts
• live street cameras
• pavement and air temperatures
• snow fall measurements
• radar maps

Learn more about the City’s snow & ice control program at LongmontColorado.gov/snow.

The safest place to be is behind the snow plow. Try to stay at least 100 feet behind a snow plow. The snow plow operator has limited visibility due to the weather conditions, size of snow plow and the blowing snow. Find more information and tips on our snow & ice control webpages at LongmontColorado.gov/snow.

We ask that drivers have patience when approaching a snow plow and refrain from passing it.

• Maintain a safe distance between your car and the plow.
• Signal your turning intentions, both in front of and behind plows.
• Refrain from passing any snow plow until the plow vehicle stops or turns.
• Avoid driving into a snow spray cloud that is created by the plow as this may cause a total “white out” of zero visibility to the driver.
• Use extra caution when driving near specialized wing plows, which have a regular 12 foot plow in the front and a 9 foot wing plow that hangs to the right. This wing plowing system clears both the driving lane and shoulder lane or two lanes of traffic in one pass, and it can be extremely dangerous for motorists who try to pass the plow.

Find additional snow guidelines and tips on our Snow & Ice Control webpages at LongmontColorado.gov/snow.

The City of Longmont uses two deicing products on roads referred to as Meltdown® Apex and Ice Slicer®. Both products are naturally occurring and approved for transportation system deicing by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Safety data sheets for these chemicals are linked below. A third product, sodium chloride, is used for anti-icing operations in a brine solution. Sodium chloride is common table salt. Deicing refers to the application of salts to driving or walking surfaces to melt existing snow and ice. Anti-icing refers to the application of salt to driving and walking surfaces before a storm to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and making it easier to clear. All deicing and anti-icing products are used in conformance with industry standards and guidelines to enhance effectiveness and minimize environmental impacts. Safety Data Sheets – Meltdown – Ice Slicer

Many people use sidewalks daily in order to travel through the city (even when it snows). Longmont Municipal Code states that you have 24 hours after snow or ice stops falling to clear your sidewalks. View the Municipal code.

Low to Moderate Snowfall

When snow fall is predicted to be low or moderate, consider waiting until the storm has ended and snow plow operations have finished before clearing your sidewalks. If you have sidewalks along a plowed street, shovel sidewalk snow onto your property instead of into the street; this will help minimize any additional snow that may inadvertently get pushed onto the sidewalk by plows. It’s impossible to completely avoid conflicts between snow removal on sidewalks and streets, so we have to work together and timing is key.

Heavy Snowfall

When significant snow accumulates, there are a few ways to handle the increased challenge of clearing sidewalks:

• Shovel multiple times during the storm to minimize build up
• Organize a neighborhood shoveling team
• Invest in a snow blowing machine
• Hire a contractor

The City of Longmont maintains traffic signals, performs road maintenance and provides snow and ice control along these state and U.S. highways that run through the city limits:

• State Highway 119 from Fordham Street on the southwest edge of Longmont to Fairview Street on the city’s eastern edge
• U.S. Highway 287 from Pike Road on the city’s southern edge to Park Ridge Avenue on the northern edge of Longmont

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is responsible for state and U.S. highways outside of those parameters, including State Highway 66.

To submit feedback or a customer comment, please visit the CDOT Questions/Comments/Concerns webpage at www.codot.gov/topcontent/contact-cdot. Longmont is a part of CDOT Region 4 (North/Northwestern Colorado).

There are a few reasons why City of Longmont snow plow operators do not plow the parking lanes during a snow and ice event. Much has to do with the freeze/thaw cycle and what would be left behind for homeowners and drivers to deal with.

Snowed piled in the curb and gutter does not dissipate as quickly and can turn to ice when going through the freeze/thaw cycle. This ice blockage prevents the snow melt from reaching storm drainage inlets, leading to standing water that can freeze and extending how long it takes for the storm’s snow and ice to go away.

In the case of a large snow event, pushing the snow all the way to the curb leaves less room for cars to park within the parking lane.

The windrow (the technical term for that tiny mountain of snow left after plowing) remains smaller when only plowed to the edge of a bike lane or parking lane than it would be if taken all the way to the curb. Smaller windrows melt faster, returning our streets to to clear sooner. Additionally, larger windrows can result in a pile directly in front of a business entrance or homeowner’s driveway, making it more difficult for vehicles to leave and enter.

Roads are slightly crowned in the middle to facilitate drainage to the road edge where storm drains carry snow melt and rain water away from the road surface. If snow were plowed to the center of the road, Mother Nature’s freeze and thaw cycles would cause ice to continually build on the travel lanes, resulting in even worse traction. Our roadways, drainage systems and snow plow equipment are all designed to work best when snow is moved to the side.

Learn more about the City’s snow & ice control program at LongmontColorado.gov/snow.

CDOT has a much more uniform task of plowing long straight stretches of roads working in tandem. Their blades are much heavier and create greater downward force that would damage urban infrastructure such as storm sewers and other utilities in the roadway. Cities on the other hand must work in narrow roads around much more cross traffic and other obstacles such as storm drainage infrastructure. City equipment uses casters or hydraulics on blades to prevent them from damaging urban roads and infrastructure. In general, plowing in urban areas is more challenging and costs considerably more per lane mile. Learn more on our snow & ice control webpages at LongmontColorado.gov/snow.

Anti-icing is the process of spraying material onto the road before a storm that lowers the temperature at which ice will form on it. It is typically sprayed far enough ahead of a storm so that it will dry and reactivate when snow falls. The material only works under certain conditions, so you will not see crews conduct anti-icing in extremely cold temperatures.

To learn more about the City’s snow and ice operations, visit LongmontColorado.gov/snow.

Colorado’s climate undergoes significant temperature swings in the winter months due to abundant sunshine. Snow melts quickly during the day and freezes at night. Most of the freezing occurs in or near the gutter in the street. Extended freeze-thaw cycles after a major storm can cause significant ice build-up.

Find general information on our Snow & Ice Control webpages.

The City maintains 340 miles of centerline roadway in Longmont. About half of this – 140 miles – is plowed as part of the annual Snow & Ice Control Program. Snow & Ice Control is funded through the City’s Street Fund Sales and Use Tax, 3/4 of a cent on every dollar purchase in Longmont. This voter approved tax must cover a wide range of transportation projects and maintenance needs. Approximately $750,000 to $1,000,000 is spent each year on snow and ice operations.

Core Objectives

• Provide access to emergency services.
• Maintain the safest possible flow of commuter traffic through the city during the storm, emphasizing access to bus routes and schools.
• Restore normal driving conditions as soon as possible after the storm has ended.

Why Not Plow Everything?

• It would be very expensive (at least double the cost)
• Many residents would end up with an even greater snow removal burden on sidewalks and driveways, etc.
• Plowing would often create rows of snow in residential areas blocking driveways, street-parked cars and trash carts – resulting in worse conditions than leaving the road unplowed.

Residential Plowing: Only in Severe Cases

The Residential Snow Plow Program is launched only in severe storms to keep residential streets, or side streets, passable. We consider deploying this program to be an emergency measure only used under specific criteria because it employs such expensive and extensive resources. Because of these reasons, the residential plows do not deploy every time snow falls. Learn more on the Residential Plowing Program webpage.

Find a complete overview of snow & ice operations on the Snow & Ice Control webpages.

Snow plowing is intended to reduce the depth of snow accumulation on roads and improve traction. It is not intended to immediately expose the paved surface, nor does it maintain normal levels of surface traction. Accumulated ice and snow may remain on roads for days and even weeks when weather conditions inhibit thawing. Normal road speeds and stopping distances can be impaired for considerable lengths of time in snow climates.

Be Snow Savvy

Make certain that your vehicle is ready for winter driving conditions long before a storm rolls into town. Being prepared means that your vehicle has decent tires (snow tires or chains are smart investments, especially if your vehicle is without all-wheel drive or 4×4), good wiper blades, a working defroster and an ice scraper.

Learn more on our snow & ice control webpages at LongmontColorado.gov/snow.

We ask for cooperation from our residents in keeping their sidewalks clear from snow and ice. Many people use sidewalks daily to travel through the city (even when it snows). Longmont Municipal Code states that you have 24 hours after snow or ice stops falling to clear your sidewalks. View the complete code at bit.ly/longmont-snow-code.

City resources primarily focus on removing snow from the streets for safe emergency response and vehicle travel. City Parks Maintenance Operations does remove snow from some designated community sidewalks and trails; view a map of those areas.

If you need to travel during or after a storm and are unable to walk along a sidewalk in certain areas, please use the maps on the Snow Routes webpage to plan your trip, or walk through a residential area where sidewalk clearing is required. (This may mean going down or over a block.)

Find more information on our Snow and Ice Control webpages.

Generally, arterial and collector streets are swept monthly during spring, summer, and fall or April through October, as is the Downtown area. Business and industrial areas are swept six times per year and residential areas are swept at least three times per year.

Learn more about Street Sweeping on our program webpage.

Contract sweeping services are used for peak seasonal sweeping operations during fall leaf season and periodically for spring clean-up. Utilization of contractors during the fall is necessary in order to clean up the leaves prior to freezing temperatures. The contract sweepers mainly focus on the more established areas of the City with mature trees; the city sweepers take care of the remaining streets.

Learn more about Street Sweeping on our program webpage.

Keeping the roadway in front of your house free of large objects and obstructions is the best way to assist street sweeping crews’ clean-up efforts. Find a list of additional tips to help out the sweepers on our Street Sweeping webpage.

If your request is non-emergency, contact Transportation to request an inspection. If sweeping is deemed appropriate, it will typically be scheduled for completion during a Friday. If you see debris in the street creating an immediate hazard during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5pm), contact us. After hours, call Police Dispatch.

During Fall and Spring

During the citywide leaf sweeping program each fall and spring, we cannot take special street sweeping requests. The leaf sweeping program operates on a tight schedule and, in order to sweep the entire city, we cannot accommodate special requests or call-backs. Multiple trips will be made to ensure a clean sweep; please be patient and wait for the next trip through your neighborhood.

Learn more about where and when we sweep on our Street Sweeping webpage.

Sweeping is divided into routes based upon the frequency. Arterial and collector streets as well as Longmont’s downtown receive the most traffic, thus debris accumulation is greater in these areas, so they are swept more frequently.

The street sweeping routes and scheduling have been designed to not interfere with trash collection and to ensure that bike paths and bike lanes are captured. Additionally, it is our standard practice to sweep snow routes after snow events.

Learn more on our Street Sweeping webpage.

Sweeping routes and trash routes are scheduled to avoid street sweeping when trash carts are at the curb for pick-up. On rare occasions, sweepers may be working in a neighborhood that is scheduled for trash pick-up. We do our best to minimize these instances.

Learn more about Street Sweeping on our program webpage.

There are many reasons why public organizations outsource work, but in most cases the reason is lower cost. Decisions to outsource can be driven by factors such as prohibitively high equipment costs, seasonal competition for labor, and needs for highly specialized skills.

Most municipal organizations are not equipped to perform large road construction projects. Furthermore, most major road maintenance work is performed in the summer months making it expensive to tie up a lot of money in staff and equipment for such a short time period. Many years ago, City staff painted all of the markings on City roads; however, that practice was discontinued when the high cost of owning and maintaining striping equipment made it much cheaper to contract the service. The same is true for most paving and concrete projects.

Contractors can often provide services at relatively low pricing because they are able to spread the cost of their labor and equipment across multiple municipal customers. Decisions to outsource some of the street work in Longmont are made by managers in the City’s Public Works and Natural Resources department with input coming from employees at all levels.

Arterial and collector streets receive more traffic, debris accumulation is greater, and they are therefore swept more frequently.

Learn more about Street Sweeping on our program webpage.

Residential street sweeping will be conducted between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. A street sweeping “night shift” will sweep industrial areas and within the boundaries of downtown Longmont.

Learn more about Street Sweeping on our program webpage.

Longmont’s sweeping program is conducted primarily for storm water and air quality compliance, though safety and aesthetic benefits are also realized through sweeping.

Learn more on our Street Sweeping webpage.

In order to make the most efficient use of available resources and equipment, timed or daily scheduling of residential routes is currently not practicable. Please review our sweeping frequency table found on the Street Sweeping webpage for more information on how we schedule and prioritize sweeping.

The City of Longmont maintains traffic signals, performs road maintenance and provides snow and ice control along these state and U.S. highways that run through the city limits:

• State Highway 119 from Fordham Street on the southwest edge of Longmont to Fairview Street on the city’s eastern edge
• U.S. Highway 287 from Pike Road on the city’s southern edge to Park Ridge Avenue on the northern edge of Longmont

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is responsible for state and U.S. highways outside of those parameters, including State Highway 66.

To submit feedback or a customer comment, please visit the CDOT Questions/Comments/Concerns webpage at www.codot.gov/topcontent/contact-cdot. Longmont is a part of CDOT Region 4 (North/Northwestern Colorado).

During citywide sweeps each fall and spring, it’s common that dump trucks will accompany sweepers due to the large amount of debris being collected. In order to be most efficient while sweeping, the street sweepers will dump into the trucks, so they do not need to drive to the city’s Waste Diversion Center multiple times a day.

Learn more about this program on our Street Sweeping webpage.

There are many reasons why the sweeper may not have been able to remove debris from your street. Most often, it’s because items such as cars, bicycles, toys, basketball hoops and refuse containers are blocking the roadway. Vehicles parked too close to each other for the sweeper to maneuver between them are another cause. Low hanging trees and shrubs can prevent sweepers from cleaning in front of your home as well. Although it is a goal to also have the streets looking clean, the expense of notification – signage, mailings, and/or barricading – is cost prohibitive.

During Fall or Spring

During citywide sweeps occurring each fall and spring, the street sweepers fill up faster and need to dump more often. If a sweeper pulls off your street without finishing during this time:

• The sweeper may need to go dump or fill with water and then return.
• They may have been called off to clean up after an accident or glass in the roadway.
• Time may have run out and the sweeper will return another day.

Learn more about our sweeping program on our Street Sweeping webpage.

To better serve the traveling public, the City of Longmont has street improvement programs included in its capital improvement plan. Improvements are scheduled on an annual basis according to need and available resources. Street improvements include resurfacing, widening and other major improvements which are not categorized under normal street maintenance programs. In addition, sidewalk repair and replacement is included in these efforts.

Information can be obtained on streets currently scheduled for improvements by visiting our Road and Bridge Construction webpage as well as our Paving and Concrete webpage, which identifies projects selected as part of the Pavement Management Program.

If you come across any areas during your travels through Longmont which need attention or repair, please let us know by contacting Transportation.

If a pothole is so large or deep that it is presenting a safety hazard for motorists or pedestrians and it is a weekend, please call and report it to Longmont Public Safety Dispatch.

The City provides repair service for concrete sidewalks, curbs, gutters and concrete pavements that are within City rights-of-way. For non-dangerous repair needs, please contact Transportation.

Damaged sidewalks and concrete that are dangerous to pedestrians and vehicles should be immediately reported by contacting Transportation between 8 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday. After hours and on weekends, these types of emergencies should be reported to Longmont Public Safety Dispatch.

When conditions warrant, temporary repairs will be made, followed by permanent repairs as soon as possible. Routine service requests are assessed, rated, prioritized and scheduled for the appropriate repair.

Please contact Transportation; you can submit a request online or via telephone.

There are many reasons why public organizations outsource work, but in most cases the reason is lower cost. Decisions to outsource can be driven by factors such as prohibitively high equipment costs, seasonal competition for labor, and needs for highly specialized skills.

Most municipal organizations are not equipped to perform large road construction projects. Furthermore, most major road maintenance work is performed in the summer months making it expensive to tie up a lot of money in staff and equipment for such a short time period. Many years ago, City staff painted all of the markings on City roads; however, that practice was discontinued when the high cost of owning and maintaining striping equipment made it much cheaper to contract the service. The same is true for most paving and concrete projects.

Contractors can often provide services at relatively low pricing because they are able to spread the cost of their labor and equipment across multiple municipal customers. Decisions to outsource some of the street work in Longmont are made by managers in the City’s Public Works and Natural Resources department with input coming from employees at all levels.

You can see a list of projects on the Pavement Management Program webpage or by contacting Transportation. If your street has been selected for treatment, you will receive a project notification letter in the mail. Construction typically begins in the spring or summer. As construction approaches, a door hanger will be posted on your home to inform you more specifically of the upcoming activities.

During normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5pm), contact Transportation.

After hours, call Police Dispatch and Storm Drainage crews will be contacted.

Please contact Transportation between 8 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

After hours emergencies, such as damaged stop signs and signs that have been hit creating a hazard within the roadway, should be reported to Longmont Public Safety Dispatch .

The City maintains trees and shrubs located on City right-of-ways which may be blocking visibility of signs and view of oncoming traffic. Please report issues or concerns in such areas to Forestry Services. If the trees or shrubs are on private property please contact Code Enforcement.

Alleys that are open to public passage are maintained by the City. Crews are assigned to patch potholes, grade and repair the alley surfaces. Alleys requiring maintenance should be reported by contacting Transportation. Problems related to trees in alleys can be reported to the Code Enforcement Department .

The City of Longmont maintains traffic signals, performs road maintenance and provides snow and ice control along these state and U.S. highways that run through the city limits:

• State Highway 119 from Fordham Street on the southwest edge of Longmont to Fairview Street on the city’s eastern edge
• U.S. Highway 287 from Pike Road on the city’s southern edge to Park Ridge Avenue on the northern edge of Longmont

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is responsible for state and U.S. highways outside of those parameters, including State Highway 66.

To submit feedback or a customer comment, please visit the CDOT Questions/Comments/Concerns webpage at www.codot.gov/topcontent/contact-cdot. Longmont is a part of CDOT Region 4 (North/Northwestern Colorado).

Proper maintenance is what keeps your car or house in good condition over many years, and the same rule applies to streets. If an appropriate maintenance treatment is applied while a street is still in relatively good condition, the street will continue to function properly for many years. Without proper maintenance, streets will deteriorate over time to a point at which reconstruction is needed. Complete street reconstruction is extremely expensive and results in greater impacts to traffic.

The City of Longmont’s Pavement Management Program serves to monitor conditions and conduct strategic maintenance treatments. By doing this, we keep overall program costs down and prevent much larger, expensive road repairs.

There could be many reasons as to why there are “no parking” signs in your neighborhood. Street signs often have information on them, but if not please contact Transportation.