The Jackson Township Highway Department prides itself in the results and satisfaction level we are able to achieve, but it is definitely the hardest area of responsibility we have.  We’ll try to give you a better understanding of the Highway Department winter operation as it relates to the winter snow and ice season. 
 

• You cannot please everyone since someone’s street must be first and someone’s street must be last to get service.  We have 12 truck routes.
• Service can be affected by a missing driver or truck in repair.  Seven day, 24 hour readiness is expected. All equipment has been readied for service.  Since trucks and equipment do not break by appointment, a mechanic is called in when all 12 truck routes are being run.
• Cul-de-sacs are nice to live on but difficult to service.  There is little room to put the piles of snow.  The plowed snow must be clear of drives and mailboxes. 
• We plow main routes continuously; allotments have second priority, and cleaning cul-de-sacs is last.  All routes are run in the same direction each time by the same driver so that the driver knows the obstacles and routing places to dump snow.
• We continuously observe the snow and ice conditions.  For general slippery conditions we have a quadrant setup for four trucks on the main roads.  For a full snow or ice condition, all 12 trucks are called into service.
• The drivers try their best to do a good job.  Meeting the expectations of the citizens makes this the toughest job we do. 
• Our trucks initially make a pass up one traveled lane and back down the other.  After the entire route has had these initial passes, the drivers go back to widen, clean intersections and clean cul-de-sacs on their route. 
• The amount of material used in a season is not related to the number of inches of snow.  It is really based upon of the number of slippery road conditions.  A light slippery glaze will take as much salt as a four inch snowfall to provide safe traffic movement.
• Snow and slippery conditions do not work by a clock.  If snow starts at 1:00 a.m., we will have time to send crews out and have the roads in shape for the 7 a.m. business and school traffic. If it first gets bad at 6:00 a.m. we will not be able to have the roads ready at 7:00 a.m.  Nature does not always cooperate with morning rush-hour traffic.
• Snow plowing on residential streets with cul-de-sacs, mailboxes, and sod berms is much more difficult and requires more driver skill than county work.  County and State plows run primarily straight on their routes with few intersections to clean and no cul-de-sacs to plow.
• Mailboxes are a challenge.  We sometimes hear from homeowners that we leave snow in front of mailboxes and that the post office may not deliver their mail.  Or we hear that we hit the mailbox.  The driver must carefully drive a very fine line.
• Avoiding traffic hazards and driving safely during snow removal service is the responsibility of the drivers. Cleaning of intersections requires skilled backing and maneuvering.  Township trucks must back in and around main road intersections to clean allotment entrances.
• Damages to road edges are minimized if the ground is frozen prior to the snow.  When the ground is soft, the slightest snow blade intrusion or truck wheel transgression may cause a muddy situation.