Snow Removal Tips

The Olathe Public Works Department is responsible for snow removal on approximately 1,230 lane miles of roadway. The City follows guidelines to provide the most effective snow removal operation possible.

Olathe works to keep 42 vehicles removing snow on two 12-hours shifts throughout a winter storm in order to provide 24 hour winter coverage. Scouting vehicles continually monitor all city streets to direct crews to dangerous areas. Crews are also in direct contact with police dispatchers who can direct them to additional areas needing treatment in a winter storm.

Streets are controlled in the following order, giving priority to providing access for emergency vehicles.

1. Arterials
2. Collectors
3. Business
4. Residential and cul-de-sacs are cleared at the same time, (residential streets and cul-de-sac are not considered bare pavement)

With the exception of emergency requests from police dispatchers, individual requests for snow removal cannot be taken until after major operations have been completed.

How You Can Help

These tips can help to expedite snow removal and ensure public safety.

• Stay back at least 50' from the rear of the plow truck so the driver can see you. (If you can't see the driver in his mirrors he can't see you)
• Park your vehicles in the driveway and don't allow any vehicles to hang out into the roadway. Cars in the roadway hinder the performance of the snow removal operations.
• Children are attracted to snowplow trucks. Teach your children to stay behind the sidewalks when they see the trucks coming.
• Some trucks are capable of plowing multiple lanes of snow at one time, avoid passing or driving beside these trucks.
• When shoveling your driveway, avoid placing the snow from your driveway back into the street. You will also find that less snow is pushed into your driveway by shoveling the snow from your driveway to the down side of your driveway (down street is the direction traffic flows).
• Portable basketball goals, hockey goals, skate board ramps and other portable structures should be removed from the street in order that the plow trucks can reach to the curb and not damage the truck or portable structures.
• Keep trees trimmed back along streets.
• Remember to clear sidewalks adjacent to your property. The City's Snow Brigade Program helps elderly and/or disabled residents with snow removal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do residential areas get plowed last?
The City must first keep major streets open to allow emergency vehicles routes to all parts of Olathe. As soon as major streets are clear, equipment is moved into residential areas.

How many major streets are there?
There are approximately 539 lane miles of "first attention" streets out of more than 1230 lane miles of streets in the city.

What about residential streets?
There are 27 residential plowing routes with 19 additional cul-de-sac routes, totaling more than 667 lane miles of snow removal in residential areas.

Why are some residential streets always plowed first?
Drivers are instructed to continually change the sequence for plowing residential streets so a particular street is not always the last to be plowed. But then it's not always the first either.

To report snow and ice problems call:

Street Maintenance Division at 913-971-6010