Why Do Snow Plows Block Driveways with Snow After You Shovel?

DAILY GRIPE--SNOW TRUCKS DUMPING SNOW IN FRONT OF DRIVEWAYS...IT'S A
NATIONAL PROBLEM AFTER EVERY STORM!....EXPERIENCES FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND THE NATION 

Every municipal official in the nation gets the same complaints after every major snow storm. Municipal snow trucks pile big piles of snow right back in front of the driveway just after the driveway was cleared.  It's frustrating. It's aggravating. But, unfortunately, I haven't found a community anywhere in the United States that has been able to avoid this problem.  If you are aware of any community anywhere that is able to avoid having trucks piling of snow right in front of driveways please advise. My cell is 914-438-1343 and my e mail is pfeiner@greenburghny.com.

After the snow stops, you might want to wait to finish your clearing of the snow until the town finishes our work.  This way you'll avoid double work!  A story CBS Philadelphia did provides some other tips.  I am also sharing some commentaries from other localities around the nation- that have the same experiences we do in Greenburgh.

PAUL FEINER, Greenburgh Town Supervisor

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – So, when that next snowfall hits the region in the coming weeks, how can you prevent that municipal snow plow from ruining the work you just did clearing out your driveway access to the street?

There’s probably nothing more frustrating than shoveling out the driveway and clearing a nice apron area to the street to pull out… And then, along comes the snow plow and pushes a big pile of snow right back in front of the driveway.

“A lot of people don’t realize it that the snow plows we use are just the big
dump trucks,” says Don Cannon, Lower Merion Township’s director of public works. “They’re not like the plows in the parking lot where they can articulate the plow back and forth and move the snow one way or the other. What we say is that snow is loaded on the front of that plow and it just continually comes off — driver’s side to passenger’s side — or left to right towards the gutter line.”

But Cannon says there is a way to avoid having the municipal plow block your driveway.

“If you shovel out a space — looking at your house to the right side of your driveway — that would allow for the amount of snow that’s on that plow to be, say, discharged in that area before it goes past your driveway that’s that much less snow that goes in front of your driveway when the plow comes down.”

Cannon insists many plow drivers are sensitive to the work suburban residents do to dig out.

Why do they plow snow in front of my driveway?  Bay Village, Ohio

Snow plow operators do not place snow in driveways on purpose. There is no practical way for the snow plow operator to cut off the windrow of snow when crossing a driveway. This problem is especially acute in cul-de-sacs because of the space. One thing you can do to reduce the amount of snow that is plowed in front of your driveway is to place as much of the snow as possible to the right side of your drive as you face the street.

TopQ: Why did the City block my driveway or bury my sidewalk when they plowed my street?

City of Lafayette - Frequently Asked Questions
Problems may arise for residents when snow piles up on sidewalks and driveways are blocked because of snowplow activities. We try very hard to plow so as not to block driveways, but this is not always possible. The most efficient method to plow snow is to push it to the side of the road. Plowing to the center of the road would leave your driveway open, but it would not provide enough room for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles to operate.

Wicomico County Department of Public Works, Roads Division  

1. Why do the plows block my driveway with snow?  

The primary goal of plowing is to remove snow from streets so that the road is open to vehicular traffic. Plowing pushes snow to the side from the middle of the street naturally, and, unfortunately, this results in snow piling up in front of driveways. Snowplows typically push snow to the right of the travel lane and the driver has no control over this. Also, the driver cannot stop or raise the plow at each driveway as this would leave a pile of snow in the roadway. Residents are advised to wait until the plow has been through their road prior to cleaning their driveway and mailbox area. If drifting or more snow occurs the plows may have to make multiple passes on a road at a later time to keep the road clear. If possible, plow drivers will try to prevent excessive blockages at driveways but at times this is not possible. Please remember that the clearing of driveway and mailbox areas is the responsibility of the resident.