Each year, thousands of people experience pulled muscles, heart attacks and other health complications as a result of shoveling snow themselves. Instead of risking their health by performing this task themselves, instead hire a professional.
According to City ordinance, homeowners are responsible for clearing sidewalks near their home while the City plows roads and parking lots. Residents must also clear snow away from fire hydrants and meters so as to keep pedestrians safe.
Driveways
Promptly hiring professionals to shovel your driveway is often best. Every year, too many individuals sustain broken bones, dehydration or heart attacks from trying to remove snow themselves; spending a few bucks with a Naperville snow removal service could save time, effort and potential injury.
The City has 22 plows working non-stop to clear roads during this major snow event. Residents are asked not to park vehicles on streets throughout the day as this will give plows more space to operate effectively.
Homeowners during snow events should make an effort to clear away sidewalks, three-foot radius around fire hydrants and clear the streets in order to enable plows access driveways and alleys. Residents should shovel snow onto their lawns instead of into the street as pushing snow into it can create hazardous icy patches at driveway ends – especially with heavy snowfall events like this one.
Sidewalks
Naperville cannot possibly clean every mile of right-of-way walks in its city limits, especially since its priority system puts arterial and main streets ahead of residential side streets, cul-de-sacs, alleys and dead ends. Residents are asked to clear their sidewalks to keep pedestrians – particularly school children – safe.
Residents should avoid placing snow in the street as this creates hazardous conditions for motorists and pedestrians and is against City code. Furthermore, residents should clear away snow around fire hydrants for aid of firefighters as well as meters for utility meter readers.
The City provides maintenance to repair defective sections of sidewalk and curb throughout the City on an equitable cost-sharing basis with adjacent property owners, helping ensure pedestrians’ safety while decreasing liability costs for the City. Residents interested in having their sidewalks repaired should reach out to Public Works Department and request inspection for its Sidewalk and Curb Maintenance Program.
Parking Lots
Large piles of snow can obscure your address and pose a safety risk, while their rapid melting/freezing cycle damages solid surfaces like asphalt or concrete, leading to costly repairs later.
To enable snowplows to work more effectively and efficiently in clearing roadways, please avoid parking vehicles on City streets throughout the day and evening. Parking on snow-covered roadways prevents salt from being spread on them and increases the potential for icy conditions.
Residents are responsible for maintaining and mowing the “parkway,” or area between sidewalk and curb, which contains various buried utilities as well as potential obstructions. Unfortunately, however, the City will not plow or salt driveways that extend into this space; to do so legally and efficiently. New or expanded driveway construction require obtaining a permit; more information can be found through Permitting Plans Licensing Portal.
Walkways
Homeowners don’t always have the time or energy to clear all of their walkways after each snowfall, while risking injury from falling on slippery ice outside their home. Hiring professional snow removal experts is an efficient and cost-effective solution to clear away the snow after storms pass by.
The City of Naperville utilizes a priority plowing system that ensures main traffic routes are cleared first, followed by residential side streets, cul-de-sacs and alleys. Parking on streets poses dangers to both pedestrians and motorists and violates City codes.
Please place all snow in your yard; placing it in the street creates slippery conditions for both motorists and pedestrians and is against City code. In order to aid firefighters and utility meter readers, clearing sidewalks around fire hydrants or meters of snow is also key. In downtown locations, however, the City takes responsibility for clearing away snow around train stations and on sidewalks themselves.