City Introduces Central Virginia’s First Snow Plow Tracking Application

City residents will find it much easier to gauge when the snow plows will be nearby. The City of Richmond has developed a new on-line application that will enable residents and visitors to see where snow plows have already been, as well as where they are heading.

The Snow Plow Tracker map includes information for the City’s posted emergency routes, Priority 1 and Priority 2 routes; which includes major arterial routes, such as Broad Street, Midlothian Turnpike and Belvidere Street. It also provides the locations of safety and emergency resources, such as fire stations, police precincts and hospitals, as well as City schools and fire hydrants.

The Snow Plow Tracker is the latest measure the City and the Department of Public Works have taken to improve and increase the resources needed to combat inclement winter weather. The City has purchased new spreaders, plows and vehicles, including John Deere Gators, which will help with snow and ice removal in tight areas.

“Even though we’ve had a very mild winter thus far, we want to be thoroughly ready for any possible inclement weather,” said Mayor Jones. “Ensuring that our snow removal equipment is up to par and that information is readily available and easily accessible will do much to improve our overall performance in the event of a weather occurrence.”

The Snow Plow Tracker was developed in-house, using GIS software the City already owns, so no additional costs were incurred.

The application also can be used as a template to develop on-line tracking maps to show areas scheduled for street cleaning, tree trimming and bulk/brush collection routes.

To view the Snow Plow Tracker application, visit the Department of Public Works page on the City website, www.RichmondGov.com, or log on to https://richssl.ci.richmond.va.us/applications/GIS/snowmap/