City Reports Snow Removal Costs

According to the Office of the Mayor:

· As a result of last week’s ice storm, the preliminary numbers show that the City spent an estimated $3.4 million from January 31 to February 7 when the operation ended at 7:00 p.m. Monday night. This includes salt, equipment, labor and contractor costs.

· Indy Snow Force drivers worked more than 19,000 hours. They worked non-stop 12-hour shifts and the City maintained the 24 hour operation throughout the ice and snow storm. In addition, support staff worked more than 472 hours during the week.

· The City activated more than 200 contractors from February 2-February 6. The City estimates that these contract services of salting and plowing neighborhood streets will cost $532,500.

· Indy Snow Force dropped 27,923 tons of salt from January 31 to February 7. This includes putting salt on the City’s 6,000 plus lanes miles of primary thoroughfares and secondary streets. Contractors assisted Indy Snow Force with an unprecedented move of salting connector streets, main streets and intersections near schools. The City continued to go above and beyond by salting more than 67 Indianapolis school parking lots. Plus, contractors assisted Indy Snow Force with dropping salt on more than 4,000 lanes miles of residential areas. The total cost of salt for this storm was just over $2 million.

· The City budgeted about $7.3 million for snow removal this calendar year. So far in the 2011 calendar year, the City has spent approximately $5.4 million on fighting snow and ice storms.

(Image courtesy of Kriss Szkurlatowski)