One of the mildest winters anyone in the Cambridge roads department can remember will mean big savings when actual costs from the 2023 winter maintenance budget are put together later this spring.
City crews were only called into action for one snow event with a parking ban last winter. The five year average is three, said Dave Lukezich, manager of road operations for the city.
"Senior staff observe this as being one of the mildest that they can remember as far as winter maintenance needs," he said.
There were only two major snow events when plows were called out to do priority and residential streets.
Eight major events mark a typical winter in Cambridge based on the five year average.
It means the city used about half of the salt it regularly needs by the end of March.
Fuel costs will also be way down, as will overtime paid out to staff normally tasked with clearing roads through the night during major winter storms.
Those savings will be placed into a winter maintenance reserve fund that carries forward into next year's budget.
The fund got a $162,332 boost last April based on what was left over from the 2022 budget. Surplus in the 2023 budget will get reported to council in May, and any savings from the 2024 budget will be accounted for next spring.
As the winter maintenance reserve fund swells, staff will determine what's a safe amount to hold onto to manage budget overruns during more severe winters.
As April arrives along with warmer weather, the salt dome at the city's Bishop Street public works yard remains half full and will be covered and stored until it's needed next winter, said Lukezich. Nothing goes to waste, including the brine mix.
With fewer snow events, staff focused on other tasks like inspections and repairs to signs, potholes, road shoulders and other needs, Lukezich says.
A number of new staff members were hired this year, so it also offered time for training.
Pothole season has also been relatively light this year and came much earlier with the freeze-thaw cycle hitting in February.
"It was more steady," he said.
The city's road construction season is set to begin with a full slate of projects listed on the city's website.
Check it out HERE.
