We continue to clear all city bus stops, however timelines have returned to pre-pilot levels:
- Priority 1 = within 3 days
- Priority 2 = an additional 4 days
- Priority 3 = an additional 7 days
How it works
Understanding the snow & ice program
Red Deer’s snow and ice plan prioritizes maintaining safety, restoring mobility, providing well-maintained roadways, trails and sidewalks, and being accountable to our community. With more than 1200 lane kilometers of roads, 250+ kms of sidewalks and trails, and hundreds of bus stops to clear, snow events big or small, create an all-hands-on-deck response to get Red Deerians moving.
We use a coloured route system to identify different types of streets and their priority for salt, sand and plowing. Streets are divided into one of six coloured routes:
| Purple | Red | Blue | Orange | Green | Grey | |
| Hills, Bridges, Overpasses & Hospital Access | Arterial roads, prioritizing high-collision intersections | Downtown | Industrial & commercial | Residential: collectors, transit routes and school zones | Residential: local (smaller) residential roads | |
| Priority: | Mobility restored within 8 hours | Mobility restored within 72 hours | Mobility restored within 4 days | Mobility restored within 5 days | Mobility restored within 7-14 calendar days (once triggered for clearing) | Mobility restored within 7-14 calendar days (once triggered for clearing) |
| Desired outcome: | Cleared to bare pavement | Cleared to bare pavement | Cleared to bare pavement | Safe and passable, manageable windrows left along both sides of street | Safe and passable, windrows removed | Safe and passable, manageable windrows left along both sides of street |
| Restoring mobility includes plowing, windrow management, providing traction control, re-treating, Sanding, Salting & Brining. | ||||||
Find out what route colour you live or work on here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the clearing timelines for bus stops?
What are the clearing timelines for sidewalks, staircases, and neighbourhood & Waskasoo Park trails?
We continue to provide enhanced trail and sidewalk clearing. We strive to clear:
- ~146 km of public sidewalks within 72 hours
- 68 km of asphalt neighbourhood trails within 3-7 days
- 35 km of Waskasoo Park Trails & five sets of staircases within 3-7 days.
To see a full map of where will be clearing, visit the Snow and Ice Control Sidewalk and Trail Clearing Map (pdf)
Will there be parking bans?
Yes. When a residential plow campaign is triggered, a parking ban will first happen on all Green Routes, and then a parking ban will be placed on all Grey Routes once clearing is triggered. The parking ban will be in effect at all hours (including overnight) until a street is completed. Learn more about parking restrictions.
When will residential plowing begin?
A residential plowing campaign will be triggered when mobility is negatively impacted, with triggering factors including, but not limited to: snowfall, forecasts for more snow, the effects of the freeze/thaw cycle and snowpack.
How can I find out where you’re plowing? When will you plow my street?
You can track our daily operations at Find Your Route. We also post updates on social media, will place signage in your community, and send Notify Red Deer alerts.
- Sign up to receive alerts by text, email or phone and we will let you know when your neighbourhood is scheduled. Sign up using Notify Red Deer.
- Check the map. Search by address to know when you can expect to see plows in your neighbourhood.
- Watch for No Parking signs around your neighbourhood. Signs are placed at neighbourhood entrances and No Parking sandwich boards will be placed on each street. Please note: all Green Routes will be cleared first, followed by all Grey Routes, should clearing be triggered.
How do I know if I live on a Green or Grey Route?
Green and Grey Routes are how we distinguish the two types of residential streets we have in our city.
- Green Routes are the busier roads in each neighbourhood and consist of collector roads and City Transit routes. They typically have higher traffic volumes and provide access to residential streets. Often Green Routes have a yellow line painted down the centre.
- Grey Routes are quieter residential streets (closes, crescents, etc) and typically have a lower traffic volume.
Find your route by searching your address here.
How will I know if there is a parking ban on my street?
When a residential plow campaign is underway, there will be several ways to find out!
- Red A-frame ‘NO PARKING’ signs will be placed on every residential street (either> Green or Grey Routes, depending on which route is being cleared) in advance of plows coming through. These signs will be placed a minimum of 12 hours in advance of plowing, and residents cannot park until the signs have been removed.
- Sign up for Notify Red Deer to get a text, email, or phone call to remind you it’s time to move your vehicle.
- Check the Snow Map for where we've completed and where we'll be next (and parking bans remain in effect).
- Watch our social media for updates.
Why should I sign up for Snow Alerts?
By signing up for Notify Red Deer, you can receive your choice of text, email or phone notification about when plowing is scheduled on your street so you can avoid a ticket and move your vehicle.
Can I sign up for alerts for more than one address?
Yes, when you sign up for Notify Red Deer, you can enter any location that you wish to receive alerts for (home, work, school or daycare, family members' homes). You will then receive Snow Zone alerts for all addresses entered in Notify Red Deer.
Who clears mailboxes?
Canada Post clears snow in front of community mailboxes. Visit their website to submit an online request to have an area cleared.