Snow & Ice Removal

The Operations Division of the Public Works Department is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. When fully staffed there are 30 Operations Division employees involved in snow removal. The equipment used for salting and snow removal includes 5 trucks equipped with plows and salt dispensers, 2 graders and 1 front-end loader.

As a citizen it is my responsibility to...

If you don't have to drive, don't! However, if you must drive in severe winter weather, be prepared for the worst. Leave earlier so you can drive at a safe speed. Allow extra distance between your car and the one ahead of you in case something unexpected happens. Do not assume because you are exercising caution that other drivers are driving sensibly. Have some protective supplies (flashlight, blanket, jumper cables) in your car in case of a breakdown or an accident. Try to limit your driving in winter storms if at all possible; the fewer cars there are on the roads, the easier it is for snow removal to be done successfully. To request snow removal or for information on the City's snow removal policy, citizens should contact Public Works and/or the Operations Division between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. If you would like to know whether a particular street is a designated emergency route, they will be happy to give you that information as well.

It is the responsibility of the city to...

The City of Bowling Green Public Works Department’s Operations Division is responsible for the salting and plowing of City streets. The City maintains the streets on snow routes throughout the duration of a snow event. Emergency routes through all zones are considered primary to allow the earliest possible passage of fire and safety vehicles. Generally, emergency routes are those major streets within the City limits that are not maintained by the state (see below) and main thoroughfares leading out of subdivisions. All other streets are secondary. Requests for snow removal on non-snow routes are addressed after primary routes are treated. Several state roads go through the City and are State maintained. These include: