City Snow Plowing Policy

  • Please observe the City of Painesville has an automatic snow parking ban when 2” or more of snow accumulates in a 24-hour period. Parking tickets issued by the Painesville Police Department for violating the snow ban start at $50.
  • City plows work on main routes first, then secondary roads followed by side streets. Special attention is paid to hills and bridges.
  • The snow parking ban lifts 8 hours after snow has stopped accumulating and all city streets are cleared.
  • Snow from the bottom of driveways should be shoveled or plowed to the right as you’re facing the street. This will reduce the amount of snow being placed back into the driveway the next time a plow passes.
  • Property owners are required by City Code to clear their own sidewalks of snow and ice. Once 4” of snow falls, City sidewalk plows are used to aid in this process. Sidewalks are plowed in order of importance starting in the downtown business area, main roadways and near schools.
  • Residents hiring contractors for snow removal should remind the contractor about state and local laws that prohibit pushing or placing snow back into or across the street. Doing so not only creates hazards for drivers, but also makes it difficult for the City to keep streets clean.
  • If trash/recycling day coincides with plowing activities, make sure your trash bin and recycling bin are well behind the curb or in the driveway so the plow will not hit them. - Don’t allow children to build snow forts and tunnels in the snowbanks adjacent to the road. It can be difficult for the plow operators to see children in these situations.
  • Residents who experience any sod or mailbox damage may contact the Public Works maintenance department to have repairs scheduled at (440)392-9594.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

  

When Will My Street Be Plowed

The order in which Public Works clears snow for the over 200 streets within city corporation limits is based on motorist usage, with safety being the primary concern. We understand it can be frustrating if your side street is not plowed while a main road is. We prioritize our plowing based on the number of people affected. 

    1. Main roads (which are usually emergency routes) and roads with hills/significant grades (E Erie Street, Liberty Street, E Main Street, Richmond Street, N State Street, W Walnut Street)
    2. Feeder streets with hills/significant grades (like High Street, W South Street, Latimore Street, Mill Street, Skinner Avenue)
    3. Other primary arteries traversing the City (like Bank Street, Jackson Street, Main Street, Mentor Avenue, W Erie Street, St. Clair Street and State Street)
    4. Streets adjacent to schools (like Cedarbrook Drive, Chestnut Street, Elm Street, Kensington Avenue, Gillett Street, W Walnut Street)
    5. Connector streets (like Fern Drive, Grant Street, Hayes Street, Newell Street, Marion Avenue)
    6. Residential streets with a heavy concentration of traffic due to population density (like Cedarbrook Drive, Cumings Drive, Heisley Park and Liberty Greens developments)
    7. Other pass-through residential areas (Belmont Drive, Morse Avenue, E South Street, etc.)
    8. Residential neighborhood dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs (like Community Lane, Corwin Drive, Michael Court, Miller Court, Tiber Drive, etc.)

 

Important Snow Reminders

    • There is an automatic parking ban when 2 inches of snow falls within 24 hours.
    • Keep your snow on your own property! Plowing into the street is dangerous for other drivers and doubles our plow drivers' workload when they are trying to keep the streets safe.
    • Give our snow plow drivers plenty of space on the roads. Plowing is a skill that requires a lot of work! Not only are they maneuvering the plow and salt mechanics, they are keeping their eyes on the road, avoiding parked cars (see parking snow ban) and pedestrians, and listening to radio updates from other drivers and the weather service. 
    • Make sure you keep fire hydrants unblocked. It's the property owner's responsibility to keep them uncovered. This allows our Fire Department to quickly and effectively access water in case of an emergency, saving precious time. 

 

City of Painesville Winter Plowing Season Policy