Plows push snow onto driveways and we really don’t have a choice. We know that it’s frustrating to shovel your driveway and then have the plow come by and push snow back at the base. Although we’d like to minimize the problem, there is no “efficient” way to plow the street so that your driveway remains snow free.
One way to assure that minimal snow will be piled in your driveway entrance is to follow the diagram below. 

Please click on the link to see a video that demonstrates the concept illustrated above https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bm7mJxJOSU

Remember, it is hazardous and illegal to shovel or blow snow into any public street once the street has been plowed. All shoveled or blown snow should be piled in your yard or parkway. Please follow the suggestion below to minimize windrows in your driveway opening.

• Shovel the snow to the side, in the direction of traffic, and clear a pocket of snow on the opposite side of your driveway.
• The accumulated snow in the plow will dump into the pocket and NOT in your driveway.

This simple procedure will minimize the amount of residual snow being plowed from the street into your driveway.

If an accident were to occur because of the snow you (or your plowing service) had placed on the public-right-of- way, you could be held liable. This is not a good way to find out how good your liability insurance is. Your best bet when clearing snow is to pile all of it on your own property.

While you’re out there, clear the area in front of your mailbox (if yours is at the curbside) after the plow has passed. If the mail carrier can reach your mailbox, you can expect to receive your bills and flyers in a timely manner.

If there’s a hydrant in the parkway in front of your home, clear a path to and around it from the street so firefighters can find and get to it quickly in case of an emergency.

And please don’t forget to clear the public walk as a courtesy to pedestrians.

What NOT to do with Snow
Do not shovel, plow, push or throw your driveway snow onto the public (or private) roadway out front as this will create a hazardous surface when traffic passes over it. And don’t try to push it all the way to the other side. That would likely create a narrowed area in the road at that location so it’ll be dangerous for vehicles traveling in opposite directions to pass there. (Be sure your plowing contractor honors these restrictions too; you’re responsible for his actions).

1. Remove your vehicles from public streets when approximately 2 inches of snow has fallen or is predicted to fall. Parked vehicles in the road not only make it harder for our drivers to thoroughly clean the streets, but it also endangers their safety by forcing them to zigzag in and out of traffic on slippery roads, thereby increasing their chance for accidents. The Village does ticket violators!
2. If possible stay off the road.
   As much as possible, please avoid driving or parking on the road during heavy snowstorms. Our primary purpose is to clear streets for emergency vehicles. The less traffic our drivers encounter, the faster and more efficiently they can clear the streets.
3. Do not shovel or blow snow into public streets.
   Again, this not only defeats the purpose of our snow plowing, but causes unsafe conditions for all drivers. All shoveled or blown snow should be piled in your yard or parkway. We highly recommend putting the snow on your side of the sidewalk to leave room for the street snow on the parkway. Again, violators will be ticketed. 
4. Drive cautiously.
   If you must be out, please use extreme caution. Drive slowly and watch at intersections. Don’t follow our plows too closely. Leave plenty of room between cars and brake slowly. Use extreme caution in passing our plowing and salting equipment.
5. Don’t expect us to leave the base of your driveway clean and neat.
   We know it’s frustrating to shovel your driveway and then have the plow come by and push snow back at the base. Although we’d like to minimize the problem, there is no way to plow the street so that your driveway remains completely "snow free."

We urge residents to assist their frail and elderly neighbors with shoveling tasks whenever possible.

By following these simple suggestions, you can help us work faster and more efficiently. We want to keep the streets clear and safe for you. Thanks for your cooperation and assistance throughout this upcoming snow season.

Traditional practices depended on rock salt or mixtures of rock salt and abrasives to remove snow and ice from the roadways. The materials were delivered from the bed of the truck to a spinner where it could be widely dispersed onto the pavement. The idea was to concentrate much of the chemical over the middle of the roadway so that as the chemicals began the melting process the melting liquid would move away from the crown of the roadway to the lower levels of the roadway and help break the snow and ice bond with the pavement. A study conducted by the Michigan Department of Transportation measured the amount of chemicals left on the roadway after a typical spinner application of materials and found that nearly 30% of the materials left the roadway after application and landed on shoulders or in ditches due to bouncing. With a typical Mount Prospect application of 400 pounds per lane mile of salt that would mean that once the truck passes only 280 pounds of the salt remains on the roadway.

Further studies conducted in Switzerland and Germany also measured the amount of dry chemicals that remained on the roadway after vehicle movement and found that after 5 vehicles had passed, only 30 percent of the dry materials remained on the roadway. After 100 vehicles, only 20 percent of the dry chemicals remained to do the job. When the materials were pre-wet, after five vehicles had passed, 93 percent of the materials remained on the road and after 100 vehicles, 80 percent remained on the roadway surface. If a dry salt is being used to remove snow and ice it is obvious that a roadway with large volumes of traffic will quickly lose most of the materials onto the shoulder or ditch where it is of little help to melt snow and ice.

• Rock salt can be spread more uniformly and less is wasted on shoulders and ditches reducing the impact to the environment.
• Materials adhere to the surface because the salt & brine mixture has a thicker consistency. The slurry-like mixture tends to “plop” onto the roadway and better stay where it lands.
• Melting begins faster since a liquid has been introduced to the salt. (Salt must find moisture before it can begin to work)
• Spreading speeds can be increased because more material stays on the roadway.
• Since the brine begins working and diluting as it hits the surface, it will dry much more rapidly, returning the roadway to normal winter driving conditions much sooner.
• Residual salt may remain on the road that will immediately begin working with the next storm.
• When dry materials are pre-wet with brine, the application rate can actually be cut back 20-30% because more of the material remains on the roadway. In addition, the additional brine adds some quick melting action.
• Can be used as a deicer on very thin layers of frost or black ice, but with caution. Salt brine is not recommended for snow pack unless it is treated regularly and frequently with a sufficient quantity of salt brine and or salt brine and rock salt. Brine alone will rapidly dilute and if an insufficient concentration is maintained may refreeze before it can burrow through the snow or ice pack.

VOMP Snow & Ice Control Plan