New Calgarian calls out 'WTF' winter roads and locals aren't surprised
Calgary got quite the snowfall this past week, and the winter roads were a big topic of conversation among Calgarians.
Reddit user, r/Specialist-Rain-9694, who is new to Calgary, took to the r/Calgary page to share their thoughts on the icy road conditions.
“Recently moved here from Idaho, so I’m very used to driving in winter/snowy conditions. What is up with the roads not getting salted? Genuinely WTF?” the post said.
First winter here and wtf at the roads
byu/Specialist-Rain-9694 inCalgary
The user then went on to mention the lack of road maintenance: “Why are we on day two of cold temps, but there’s still so much ice on the roads/highways? Collisions are happening left and right, yet nothing is being done about the icy roads and parking lots.”
Local Calgarians were quick to respond, with many chiming in to explain how the City of Calgary handles winter roads and maintenance.
“So in general, the City will use ‘pickle’ (salty gravel), so if/when the temperatures get cold enough that salt isn’t effective, the gravel will still provide traction,” one comment wrote, before joking, “But in general the snow maintenance has a bit of ‘wait until the next Chinook and it will just melt’ mentality.”
“Oh, hi! Welcome to Calgary, where we rely on the Chinooks to clear the snow for us. Snow budget? What’s that?” another replied.
Others pointed out that it’s not just the road conditions, it’s the drivers. “For whatever reason, the first big snow dump of the season causes most of the city to act like they’ve never seen snow before,” one user said.
Some even joked that we haven’t quite seen the worst of it. “Wait til the massive dumps of snow in March/April. The City’s like ‘good luck suckers,’” one used joked. “Wait ‘til you get to ‘make up your own lane’ season,” another added.