photo by: Mike Yoder

A line of city snow plows and sand trucks head out on routes Sunday, March 24, 2013, after an overnight snow of several inches around Lawrence.

When the city sees its first snowfall this season, it will not necessarily mean that city snow plows will be out to clear neighborhood streets.

The city’s Municipal Services & Operations Department recently updated the city’s snow and ice control policy, and plows will no longer clear all streets for smaller amounts of snow.

Under the new policy, city snow and ice control operations will occur on the roadways classified as residential areas only after snowfall accumulation reaches 2 inches or more, or when icing occurs, according to a city news release.

Previously, the city has not had a minimum amount of snow that has triggered street plowing operations in neighborhoods. The change only impacts residential streets, and large arterial streets such as 19th Street or Inverness Drive that run through neighborhoods will still be cleared, according to new city snow plow maps.

In addition to setting the 2-inch threshold for residential streets, the policy also prioritizes which streets will be plowed first.

Under the policy, all city roadways are classified as either a priority roadway or a residential area roadway, according to the release. During winter weather, priority roadways will be treated first before crews move into the residential areas. Priority roadways include streets such as 23rd Street, Iowa Street, Sixth Street, 19th Street and Massachusetts Street, among others, according to the new snow plow maps.

photo by: City of Lawrence

The city’s new snow plow maps shows the streets, in blue, that will be prioritized under the city’s new snow and ice removal policy. Streets that are not in blue will only be plowed if there is ice or accumulation of more than two inches of snow.

The release specifies that the snow and ice control plan does not intend for city crews to remove all snow and ice accumulation from all city streets. It states that when conditions are favorable, streets will be de-iced to the bare pavement, but this will not be feasible during most winter weather events. The release states that the changes aim to be a more efficient and cost-effective means of handling snow and ice under a more citywide approach.

The Lawrence City Commission was told earlier this month about the changes, which staff said were driven by budget issues, as the Journal-World reported. In recent years, the city has spent about $860,000 a year in snow removal.

The city’s new roadway prioritization maps for snow and ice control are available on the city’s website, at Lawrenceks.org/snow.