City Beefs Up Snow Plowing Fleet, Looks For More Drivers

Fire Chief Dave Engler (l), Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, and Transportation Director Liz Elliott introduce new “Super Trucks”

Lincoln, NE (October 27, 2022) Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Liz Elliott, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) Director, and City officials today showcased new snowfighting equipment and discussed elements of this season’s winter operations plan.

“When it comes to preparation for winter weather events, we go big so you can go home,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “Our 12 new, super-combo trucks replace the oldest ones in our fleet, nearly doubling our capacity to clear arterial streets of ice and snow.”

Elliott said that the new snowplow trucks are unique in that each truck is equipped to spray anti-icing material, spread granular salt pre-wet with brine, and plow snow from Lincoln’s streets–as well as haul materials during warmer months. The City prioritized and appropriated funding for the trucks in the 2020-2021 budget. Each truck cost $301,583.50.

“Because the new super-combo trucks can complete multiple tasks on their routes, drivers can avoid time-consuming trips to maintenance shops to change vehicles,” Elliott said. “That means crews have more time to keep people safe and streets clear of snow and ice.”

LTU continues to see the benefits by custom-making deicing brine before winter storms, Elliott said, with the City saving $100,000 to $300,000 annually. To increase efficiency of the deicers, LTU has invested in a new truck fill station that allows crews to vary the combination of brine ingredients to match the severity of each unique storm. The new equipment allows crews to quickly load various brine recipes that coordinate with different amounts of snow and ice across the city.

Elliott reminded residents to use the online Snowplow Tracker at lincoln.ne.gov/snow when considering making snow-related service requests. All snowfighting vehicles are equipped with GPS tracking devices. During winter storms, residents may do the following:

Watch – Watch for the storm to end. Crews are better able to respond to resident service requests after a storm has passed and arterial and emergency streets have been serviced.
Review – Review the Snowplow Tracker at lincoln.ne.gov/snow to monitor snowplowing progress. Please pause requests unless your service area is shaded in dark green, which means it has been serviced, inspected and approved. If your service area is not shaded in dark green, crews are still plowing and may solve your issue soon.
Request – Make a service request. Please submit requests to UPLNK.lincoln.ne.gov if your service area is shaded in dark green but requires additional attention.

“This year, we are reorganizing how we clear arterial and emergency routes to get you where you need to go faster,” Elliott said. “We’re adding additional snowfighters and new snowplows to increase efficiency. This effort will help us finish plowing arterial streets sooner, and we anticipate we will be able to complete these routes by up to two hours earlier than we have in the past.”

Elliott announced that LTU will host a Snowfighters Hiring Event from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 9, at the Municipal Services Center at 949 West Bond Street. Interested drivers will learn about street snowplowing, complete an application and interview in one location.

“These seasonal workers are important to LTU, especially during major winter storms, when snowfighters battle the elements around the clock,” Elliott said.

Officials also asked residents to join City snowfighting efforts by helping in the following ways:

Stay informed on snow operations and parking bans through lincoln.ne.gov/snow; social media at @LTULNK on Twitter and @LTULincoln on Facebook; and local media sources.
Keep vehicles off the street during snow operations, even if parking bans have not been issued.
Drive carefully around crews clearing ice and snow.
Keep sidewalks, including curb cuts, free of ice and snow, and clear snow away from all fire hydrants and mailboxes.
Help others who need assistance shoveling driveways and sidewalks through the Snow Angels Volunteer Program. To request help, call 402-441-7644 after the weather event. To register as a volunteer, visit lincoln.ne.gov/snow.