Snow Removal Update: Residential Streets Plowed, Snow Hauling Begins

Royal Oak residential streets have all been plowed; next up, snow hauling.

"The process to haul snow out of the downtown area has begun and will probably go through Thursday," said Greg Rassel, director of Royal Oak's Department of Public Service. "After the snow is hauled off the roads, we'll begin hauling it out of parking lots."

Royal Oak plows snow to the center of the street in the Central Business District to avoid covering sidewalks and parking meters with the white stuff. And snow piled up in lots eats up much-needed parking spaces.

"We need to get it out of the lots for the next storm that comes through," Rassel said. Tall snow mounds often do not melt to the ground until the spring, he said.

In addition to removing snow, the city has had seven water main breaks since Saturday that have kept the department busy. DPS is also fielding a number of calls regarding frozen pipes.

"If you don't have running water, it means your pipes are frozen in some way," Rassel said. 

[Read: How to Prevent Frozen Pipes and How to Thaw Them if They Freeze]

The next weather-related concern for DPS is rain in the forecast for this weekend as temps rise above 40 degrees.
"If it's just a drizzle, it won't be a problem. But if we have a deluge and streets flood, we'll be out there working to uncover catch basins," Rassel said.