With winter weather around the dreadful corner, Lincoln city officials are preparing before the first snowfall.
Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) has announced its winter operations plan to ensure safe driving conditions and keep traffic flowing smoothly throughout the season. Their winter operations budget this year is $6,585,000.
The City’s 12 multi-use trucks are equipped to spray anti-icing brine, spread granular salt pre-wet with brine, and plow snow from Lincoln’s streets. To prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement, the City uses custom brine-making and filling equipment, which allows for faster response times and reduces salt use by 19% on average, cutting deicing costs annually by 43%.
Five companies are under contract to assist with winter operations when needed.
Some general winter reminders include:
- Avoid parking on streets during snow operations, even if no formal parking bans are in place.
- Drive cautiously around crews clearing snow and ice.
- Clear sidewalks, including curb cuts, and ensure fire hydrants and mailboxes are free from snow and ice.
- The Snow Angels Volunteer Program offers shoveling assistance by connecting neighbors in need with volunteers willing to help.
When considering making a residential snow-related service request during a winter storm, residents are reminded:
- Wait for the storm to end. Crews are only able to respond to resident service requests after priority streets have been fully serviced.
- Review the Snowplow Tracker and the Residential Snowplow Tracker at lincoln.ne.gov/snow to monitor snowplowing progress. Please pause residential street requests unless your service area is shaded in dark green, which means it has been serviced, inspected, and approved. If your service area is not shaded in dark green, crews are still plowing and may solve your issue soon.
- If your service area is shaded in dark green but requires additional attention, residents can make a service request at lincoln.ne.gov/UPLNK. Snowfighters will address service requests after priority snowplowing is complete.
Vehicle owners are encouraged to plan for alternative parking options in anticipation of potential parking bans. In 2024, these bans prohibit parking on the even-numbered sides of streets, shifting to odd-numbered sides in 2025. Lincoln’s plows, which are wide and require extra space, need clear paths to plow effectively and keep streets accessible for drivers.
Winter weather conditions in Lincoln can also be monitored by following LTU on Facebook, Twitter, or here at KLIN.com or on the air at 1400 & 99.3 KLIN.