Homeowners should be careful where to plow snow

    As everyone begins to prepare for the upcoming winter season I would like to take the opportunity to address an area of concern for highway crews in Presque Isle and everywhere in the snow belt, and that is the clearing of snow from driveways and parking lots and pushing or blowing it onto the adjacent street or sidewalk.     Vehicular and pedestrian traffic is increasing all the time. We live in a twenty four hour economy where people must travel to work or recreational activities day and night. With our busier lifestyles everyone moves faster.
    Many of our streets and roads were built in the 1950s and 1960s and were not designed to handle the volume of traffic which exists today, even under ideal conditions.
    When snow is pushed or blown from someone’s driveway onto a street already narrowed by snowbanks, it creates a very dangerous situation. Often vehicles must drive on the wrong side of the street to get by and in doing so may force another driver to make an unexpected maneuver which may cause an accident. Should an accident occur because you or your contractor has put snow in the street you can be held liable for damages.
    In Maine, Title 29 MRSA, section 1752 prohibits any person from plowing or depositing in the public way, any snow or slush. Public ways include streets, roads, sidewalks and drainage ditches. In short, if a person places snow in or on a public way, that person is liable for any damages caused and is responsible for all costs incurred if the City has to clean it up.
    Blocking sidewalks with snow is also a dangerous, inconsiderate and illegal act. Pedestrians, especially children on their way to or from school are forced to walk on the edge of the street to get around the blockage. They may have to walk several hundred feet to get back onto the sidewalk, especially if the banks are high.
    Please, if you clear your own snow, think about where you place it and be considerate of others who need to use the streets and sidewalks. If you contract for snow removal please ask your contractor to do the same.
    Also, the people at Presque Isle Public Works would like to offer a few tips to make your winter traveling safer:
• Make sure that your vehicle has snow tires, remember not all radial tires are good in snow.
• Carry some emergency items such as a flashlight, flares, blanket, kitty litter or rock salt to get you unstuck, and a shovel.
• Posted speed limits are meant for ideal conditions only. Foul weather requires caution and reduced speed.
• Municipal and State snowplows can clear a twelve to fifteen foot wide swath, in one pass. Plow trucks are very heavy because of the plow rigging, salt and sand that they must carry to do their work. Please give them plenty of room to work. When truck brake linings get wet from the snow or slush, stopping distances increase significantly, please do not try to cut them off or stop abruptly in front of them.
• Snowplow operators have a lot to think about when plowing. They must watch the road and traffic while making sure that the plow and wing are cleaning properly. They must watch their sander/spinner to make sure they are getting enough material spread. Please remember that snowplow operators are trying to make sure that you have safe roadways to travel. If the plows don’t go, nobody does!
    Gerry James is public works director for the city of Presque Isle. He can be reached at 764-2560 or online at gerryjames@mfx.net.