Last Updated 2 weeks by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Indianapolis City-County Council proposal introduced a month ago to change how snow removal works on city streets has finally been posted for public view.
City residents complained loudly when early January winter storms left 11 inches of snow, and residential streets were not plowed.
The city was operating on what’s called the “Connector Policy,” which uses a “holistic assessment of roadways” before calling out snowplows. The “Connector Policy” plows nearly 7,000 lane miles across the city but excludes around 1,400 lane miles of residential streets from the plow plans.
During a heated Jan. 16 Public Works Committee meeting, Councilor Jared Evans vowed to create a new proposal for snow removal from roads.
A proposal to change the rules for snow removal from roads was introduced at a council meeting Feb. 3, as News 8 reported, but not shared publicly because, council members said, it had not been finalized.
The council’s Public Works Committee is scheduled to hear Proposal No. 69, 2025, called “Priority Snow Clearance Ordinance,” at 5:30 p.m. March 13, according to the proposal’s posting on Monday night’s council agenda.
Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Feb. 13 that the Department of Public Works will adopt a 4-inch standard for plowing residential streets for the rest of the season. The mayor said the standard sets clear expectations for when and how neighborhoods will be plowed.
Proposal 69 wouldn’t change the priority in which streets would be cleared of snow. First-priority streets would include thoroughfares, collectors, and streets adjacent to hospitals and fire stations. Second-priority streets would be those near schools and other essential services. Third-priority streets would encompass all remaining local streets.
The proposal would call on the Department of Public Works to create a comprehensive snow removal policy ensuring that third-priority streets are plowed when snow accumulation reaches 4 inches.
Additionally, the proposal says, the policy should include a financial statement detailing its impact on the department’s budget, and a network of priority bike infrastructure for real-time tracking.
The city would not change how it declares snow emergencies and, during those times, parking prohibitions, under Proposal 69.