RIDING ALONG WITH WESTERVILLE ROAD WARRIORS

There’s nothing like waking up on a winter morning to a fresh blanket of snow. Unless you are a school-aged child, the sight of recently treated neighborhood roads is also a welcome sight. For Westerville residents, it’s the norm thanks to the Road Warriors of the Westerville Public Service Department. They work 24 hours a day, seven days a week clearing and treating streets when significant amounts of snow and icefall.

Joe Craig, Street Maintenance Supervisor, has overseen this team of 29 since 2016.

“We follow a multi-level plan of attack when it comes to clearing roads,” said Craig. “We have to first focus on the most highly traveled roadways and streets that service hospitals. If you find it’s taking longer for us to get to your neighborhood, you can bet it’s because these high-priority roadways are requiring more attention.”

The second priority is given to clearing streets around schools and those that facilitate traffic in and out of the City.

Craig says that once these higher priority roadways are in good shape, the team turns into subdivisions and gets to work clearing streets, courts, alleys and dead-ends.

“Safe travel for emergency vehicles is our top priority. However, we also know how important it is for residents to get where they need to be. Many of my team members live here in Westerville, they get it and it’s personal to them. We’re serious about keeping the roads safe for all drivers at all times,” Craig said.

This spirit carries through to the holidays. When Central Ohio was treated to a rare white Christmas Eve in 2020, several members of the Westerville Public Service team came in to assist with equipment maintenance, clearing and treating the roads.

“That’s the heart of this team. They come in and get the job done the right way, no matter what. They know what they do matters,” Craig said.

Westerville’s Street Maintenance team is small compared to the population served. The bulk of employees are assigned to the first shift (7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.). In the event of a large snow event, staff is split into two evenly sized groups. Each group works a 12hour shift until the storm has passed and all streets have been cleared. When a major weather event is in the forecast, Craig is in charge of reorganizing these resources to allow 24-hour coverage.

Residents have a role to play in keeping neighborhood streets clear as well. Craig reminds neighbors to avoid shoveling snow into the roadway as they clear their driveways and sidewalks.

“Piling snow into the street can create a tricky situation for our plows and lead to even larger piles in the street during big storms,” Craig said. “Try to move snow to the tree lawn, away from hydrants and mailboxes and to the left of your drive, as you face your home, so that it isn’t plowed back into your driveway.”

Also, obstructions can cause hazardous conditions for both snow and leaf collection operations. Items such as basketball hoops should be removed from the right-of-way so that snow can be removed all the way to the curb.

The Westerville Public Service Road Warriors care for more than 150 miles of City roadways. You can follow their progress at www.westerville.org/roadwarriors. Learn about snow removal policies and procedures at www.westerville.org/snow.