Decatur, Indiana Street Department
General Duties of Street Department
- Clearing of snow and ice
- Cleaning and inspection of catch basins
- Leaf collection
- ADA compliance
- General maintenance of City streets, alleys, and sidewalks
- Street sweeping
Street Sweeping
The Decatur Street Department is responsible for the cleanliness of the City streets. This operation is done with a two people, one of whom is the official street sweeper, and usually takes two weeks to cover the entire city.
Snow and Ice Control
The Decatur Street Department utilizes 12 vehicles for snow and ice removal. Six large dump trucks, a single one-ton dump, two pay loaders, one four-wheel drive pick-up truck, and two liquid applicators.
During a snow event, the primary focus is to plow all emergency routes. After all lanes are plowed on the main streets, the focus is shifted to plowing the residential streets. Alleys are plowed only after all other streets have been cleaned and salted.
Our ice control has changed over the last several years. Starting in 2012, we began spraying two liquids on the pavement: first a brine, which is water with 23% salt concentration, and then beet juice, which is organic and is less corrosive to the pavement and vehicles. The combination of these solutions melts any snow and ice already on the pavement, as well as stops new ice formation.
Snow plows push the snow from the street into piles. Plows are unable to lift the snow, which can cause some issues for those who have shoveled their driveways before a plow has reached their street. To avoid having to double shovel, it is best to wait until your street has been plowed to clear your driveway. If you must shovel before the snow plow reaches your street, shovel the snow to the right-hand side, as you are looking from the back of your driveway out to the street, so that the plow can push it away from your driveway rather than back into it. Please avoid utilizing curb-side street parking during a snow storm. Not only does clearing the street of vehicles speed the snow removal process, it also prevents vehicles from being plowed in. Remember to stay back at least 75 feet from a snow plow.
Photos
Decatur Street Department on Elm Street
Jeremy Gilbert, Operations Manager/Superintendent