Winter Preparedness

City of Johnstown Winter Weather Emergency Plan

The following definitions are provided:

Snow Event - Precipitation resulting in the accumulation of snow, sleet, hail, ice, and freezing rain on streets, sidewalks, and other ground surfaces.

Snow emergency - A snow event where accumulation of snow is expected to exceed six inches or where the effects of other types of winter weather create an emergency situation.

Emergency Snow Primary Routes - Designated major arterials and main interconnectors between wards and other municipalities which are used for principal emergency, commercial, school or bus access. Also, includes major, high volume residential streets. These routes are posted with signs designating them as “Emergency Snow Routes”.

Emergency Operations Coordinator (EOC) – The City Manager or another City employee so designated by the City Manager. The Integrated Emergency Operations center is located in the Commerce Center on Broad Street Building or the Mobile Command Vehicle if conditions warrant activation.

Declaration of Snow Emergency – The EOC will declare a snow emergency in time for public announcement no later than 6:00pm the day of, or in case of a probable overnight or early morning start, the day preceding the event.

EMERGENCY SNOW PARKING RESTRICTIONS

ROUTE DESIGNATIONS

Emergency Snow Primary Routes during snow emergency events, the routes listed on the Emergency Snow Parking Restrictions chart will be addressed first with the goal of initial treatment of all Emergency Snow Primary Routes within the first eight hours from time of activation. These routes will then be treated continuously until the event is declared over
or under control.

Parking restrictions on these routes, with the exception of the Central Business District, are based on odd/even method where parking is restricted to that side of street address numbering (odd/even) that correlates with the day the snow emergency is declared by the EOC.

For instance, on December 28th, the EOC announces a snow emergency starting at some time that evening or early the next morning. Along Emergency Snow Routes where parking is allowed on the even side of the streets, vehicle owners must move their vehicles OFF that side of the street to legal parking elsewhere. At 6:00pm the next evening (December 29), if the emergency is still in effect, vehicle owners may park back on the even side, but must be OFF any odd side, legal, Emergency Snow Route parking areas. This will allow plowing crews to clear the full street width within a two day period
for better traffic flow and overall parking availability.

Areas that are normally restricted will remain restricted during snow emergencies. This parking pattern for designated routes will continue until the snow emergency is declared over.

Central Business District – All legal street parking within the Central Business District will be prohibited during declared snow emergencies between the hours of Midnight and 6:00am. Garage and offstreet parking is available during these hours so that snow removal crews can clear as much of the high traffic areas as possible.

City of Johnstown Ordinance No. 4696 PARKING RESTRICTIONS ON DESIGNATED EMERGENCY SNOW ROUTES WITHIN THE CITY EACH TIME THERE IS A DECLARED SNOW EMERGENCY EVENT. PROVIDING FOR THE REMOVAL OF VEHICLES IN VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE, REGULATING THE OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES ON CITY STREETS DURING SNOW EMERGENCY EVENT PERIODS, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION THEREOF.

Section 4. Enforcement Parameters for Parking and Vehicle Operation. The additional parking restrictions along designated primary routes shall be enforceable one (1) hour after the Snow Emergency is declared by the EOC or when designated by the EOC, but not less than one hour. The additional parking restrictions shall remain in effect until terminated by announcement of the EOC in accordance with this Ordinance.

No person shall operate any vehicle on a snow removal street or snow emergency route in such manner or in such condition as to allow or permit such vehicle to become stalled or incapable of moving under its own power, either by reason of the fact that the driving wheels of such vehicle are not equipped with chains, snow tires, or all-weather radial tires or by reason of the fact that the motor fuel supply of such vehicle has been allowed to become exhausted. 

Section 5. Removal of Illegally Parked Vehicles, Recovery by Others, Records. The EOC acting through the Police Department is hereby authorized to remove or have removed a vehicle from a street when the vehicle is parked in violation of any parking ordinance or provision of law and is interfering or about to interfere with snow plowing, salting, or cindering, or snow removal operations.

Section 6. Evidence of Violation – In any prosecution with regard to a vehicle parked or left in a place in violation of this ordinance, proof that the particular vehicle described in the complaint or information was parked or left in violation of a provision of this ordinance, together with proof that the defendant named in the complaint or information was at the time the registered owner of such vehicle, shall constitute prima -facie evidence that the defendant was the person who parked or left the vehicle in violation of this ordinance.

Section 7. Illegal Removal of Snow by Persons and Deposit of Same on Public Roadway. It shall be illegal and unlawful for any person to remove any snow from any portion of the street and pile the same on any other area of said street for any purposes whatsoever. No person shall remove snow, ice, or sleet from private property and deposit the same on the street of the City.

Section 8. Penalty for Violation. Any person who shall violate any provision of this ordinance shall face a fine of not less than FIFTY DOLLARS ($50) nor more than SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS ($600) and costs of prosecution and in default of payment of said fine and costs, shall face imprisonment for not more than 10 days.

City of Johnstown Ordinance No. 4707 Amending part ten of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, titled: “Streets, Utilities and Public Services,” namely Chapter 1022 – Sidewalks and Curbs, Section 1022.06.
REMOVAL OF RUBBISH AND SNOW; DEPOSIT IN GUTTER OR STREET PROHIBITED; PENALTY FOR VIOLATION.

A. Every occupant or owner in charge or control of any building or lot of land fronting or abutting on a paved sidewalk, whether as tenant, occupant, lessee, or ultimately owner, shall remove and clear away or cause to be removed or cleared away, rubbish, snow, and/or ice, but the gutter and street shall not be obstructed by depositing the same in it. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) hereof, snow and ice shall be removed from sidewalks within twenty-four (24) hours after the cessation of any fall of snow, sleet, and/or freezing rain.

(2) In the event that snow and/or ice on a sidewalk has become so hard that it cannot be removed without likelihood of damage to the sidewalk, the party responsible for its removal shall, within the time requirements established in subsection (1) hereof, cause sufficient sand or other abrasive to put upon the sidewalk to make travel reasonably safe; and shall, as soon thereafter as weather permits, cause the sidewalk to be cleared. (3) If the occupant or owner refuses or neglects to comply with subsections (1) and (2) above, the Director of Public Works shall give written notice to such owner or
occupant requiring compliance within (3) days and if no compliance is forthcoming cause the removal of treatment to be made, as required in subsection (1) and (2) above, and the cost levied and collected from such property owner, with costs as provided by law. This action shall be in addition to another penalty or remedy provided by this Section, provision of these Codified Ordinances or State Law.