Snow Removal

Snow and ice control are a key service the City of Fredericton provides. Drivers, transit users, and those who choose Active Transportation—such as cycling or walking—depend on clear roads and sidewalks to move about the city.

The City takes a strategic approach to snow and ice control. Salt is applied at the onset of a storm to prevent ice and snow from bonding to the pavement. Priority 1 and 2 streets are scraped continuously during a storm to keep the City moving. Depending on the size of the storm, priority 3 streets may be scraped during a storm to ensure access is maintained.

Sidewalks in heavy pedestrian areas, like the downtown business district are scraped during a storm.

Full cleanup of all streets and sidewalks begins once the storm has ended. City staff will plow all streets within 24 hours after the end of a storm. All sidewalks are plowed within 48 hours of a storm.

city sidewalk plow during a winter storm

Winter Tips

Here’s how you can help keep things safe and smooth:

Stay patient and give our crews space to work. Following too closely risks being hit with debris, causing damage or accidents. Plan ahead and allow extra time for a safe trip!
Don’t push snow from your driveway or parking lot onto the street or sidewalk; it’s a hazard for drivers and pedestrians.
Street parking is prohibited from 12:00am to 7:00am (until May 31). Parking on-street during these hours means risking a ticket or tow! Keeping streets clear helps our crews remove snow efficiently.
Clear all snow and ice from your vehicle, including the roof! Loose ice can cause accidents or damage to other vehicles.
Drive with caution: Always reduce speed and keep a safe distance from other vehicles, even if you have all-wheel drive.
Winter tires are a must, designed for our climate.

During a Storm

When it snows in Fredericton, City crews are busy applying salt to major streets and scraping those routes to keep the city moving. However, snow plowing operations for the entire city always begins at the end of a storm when twenty-three pieces of equipment deploy to clean up the city.

Once the storm finishes, City staff plow all streets within 24 hours based on a 3-level priority system, determined by traffic volume and access:

Priority 1 streets are arterials and major collector roads such as Regent Street, the Westmorland Street Bridge and Union Street.
Priority 2 streets are minor collector roads and local streets on bus routes, school and hospital zones such as MacLaren Avenue, Kings College Road and Canterbury Drive.
Priority 3 streets are all remaining streets.

All sidewalks are plowed within 48 hours of a storm based on the following priority:

Priority 1 sidewalks are located on major routes, minor arterial streets, school zones, downtown and heavily travelled sidewalks.
Priority 2 sidewalks are located on collector streets.
Priority 3 sidewalks are located on local streets.
Priority 4 sidewalks are located on certain trail or hard surface connections.

Snow Cleanup

Work on cleaning up the city after a snowstorm does not stop once snow plowing is finished. Once the snow has finished and all streets are plowed, City crews work on the final steps of cleanup. These steps include:

pushing back snow banks;
cutting ice with graders;
widening streets after a snow fall;
clearing bus stops and fire hydrants;
pushing bank snow from corners to address site restrictions;
addressing snow pushed into right aways; and
moving snow to snow storage.

Residents can assist City staff in their cleanup work by following these tips:

Don’t push/place snow on streets or sidewalks.
Keep garbage containers out of harms way.
Park vehicles off street, well into driveway (it’s the law).
Mark hedges and fences with flagging tape.
Keep catch basins near property clear.
Drive for the conditions.
Wear winter footwear. Safety first.
Watch where your children play – snowbanks are not a good place to build forts.

Snow Haul

The winter snow haul is a key part of the City of Fredecicton’s strategic approach to snow removal and ice control each winter. During a storm, salt is applied at the onset of a storm to prevent ice and snow bonding to pavement. City staff plow streets once the storm finishes based on priority. Then, the snow haul occurs.

A snow haul takes place overnight once snow accumulates in the city. Crews work from midnight to the early morning around the city pushing back snow banks and loading snow to a series of dump trucks, which then transport it to the City snow storage facility which meets all environmental regulations.

Snow Storage

Fredericton manages a City Snow Storage Facility off of Wallace Avenue. This is a designated place where city crews, private companies, and contractors can dump the snow cleared from roads, sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots throughout the city.

There is a registration fee of $300 for each company hauling to the snow storage facility, as well as a $100 per truck fee for each truck that is registered to haul snow. These fees cover the costs that the City of Fredericton incurs to maintain the snow storage facility; ensuring it is acceptable to adjacent property owners and meets all environmental regulations.

Snow Storage Guidelines:

The snow storage facility is divided in two by a berm.
Contractors dump furthest away from entrance.
City crews dump closest to entrance.
Contractors are responsible to arrange for the pushing back of ALL snow they dump.
Snow should be pushed in a northerly direction away from the river ONLY.
Do NOT push snow to the west into the adjacent stream/brook.
Dump only in designated areas.
Contractors are responsible for pushing back their own snow immediately after dumping.
No banging of tail gates due to noise problems with the surrounding residents.
Keep speed down on Wallace Avenue and haul road into the storage facility.
Empty trucks yield to loaded trucks.
Registration Permits are to be displayed in a visible place at all times.
The snow storage facility is policed by city forces on a regular basis. Any violation of the above rules will lead to dumping privileges being withdrawn.

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (If in use by City Crews),
9:30 p.m. - 7:30 a.m. by request or if being used by City Crews.
Saturday 9:30 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. by request.
Sunday 9:30 p.m. - 7:30 a.m. by request.

You must register to use the snow facility in person at the Service Centre located at the back doors of City Hall.