As this week’s rising temperatures melt the snow piles scattering Ann Arbor’s roads, those commuting through the city can finally catch a break from navigating icy streets and snowy paths. As snowplows prepare to park for months without use, the difference in street quality draws attention to the strengths and limitations of Ann Arbor’s snow removal system.
Ann Arbor’s streets fall into three tiers of priority for snow removal. Priority 1 routes — Washtenaw Avenue, Jackson Avenue, Huron Street and North Main Street — are maintained by the Washtenaw County Road Commission and plowed following any snowfall. Priority 2 routes — the city’s major commercial streets and primary transportation routes, including nearly the entire Downtown Development Authority district — are plowed by the city of Ann Arbor. Priority 3 routes include all remaining residential roads throughout the city and are not plowed until there are at least four inches of snowfall.
City crews also focus on clearing school bus routes and curbside waste collection routes in addition to the priority tiers. In an email to The Michigan Daily, Bob West, assistant manager of the city’s Public Works department, wrote the city developed its plowing system in collaboration with prominent local institutions…