Snow and Ice

Akron, OH 44308
330-375-2311 (phone)

The Public Works Bureau provides snow and ice service to the following:

• The interbelt and main roads
• Arterials, & collectors
• Residential streets when we receive over 6" of snow

If you have any questions or to report a problem, please call the 3-1-1 Call Center by dialing 3-1-1 on your landline phone inside the city limits or by calling 330-375-2311 from your cell phone.

Mayor Dan Horrigan and City Council President Margo Sommerville unveiled an aggressive plan to overhaul the City’s approach to snow and ice removal.  The new 5-point strategy includes significant improvements to equipment, technology, logistics, and training.

The full 5-point improvement strategy is summarized below. 

1. More Plow Trucks and Equipment

   • Ended ODOT maintenance contract for highways, allowing 5 more 15-ton plow trucks to be available for plowing City streets

   • 3 new replacement 5-ton trucks allowing additional backup equipment in major events

   • 13 additional smaller 1-ton trucks outfitted with plows and/or salt spreaders which will be used for complaint-response in every City ward.

   • More aggressive maintenance schedules and opening additional City facilities (including the Copley Road facility) for maintenance work to reduce plows being out of service when they’re needed most

2. Better Access to Salt

   • Market is recovering from extreme salt supply shortage last winter with more materials available nationwide

   • Already secured commitment on our full quantity of salt at approx. 25,000 tons

   • More salt available for City streets without ODOT maintenance agreement.

3. Route Revisions

   • Recrafting of routes on City street allowing quicker completion, and minimize travel times between routes, materials and service locations.

   • Continuing work with logistics experts to maximize effectiveness and efficiency

   • Outside contractors will have access to pre-assigned areas for emergency assistance

4. Enhanced Training

   • Providing additional in-truck training of new plow drivers by experienced operators

   • Working with simulator vendors and partners to provide enhanced classroom training

5. Improved Policies & Technology

   • Working with City Council to adopt improvements to the Parking Ban procedure including earlier notification

   • Supervisors in the field will have better access to Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) system, 3-1-1 service requests, work order management in real time.

   • Internal Constant Improvement Team established to review responses to events and make changes and improvements before the next event.

For a full FAQ sheet please click here:  https://www.akronohio.gov/cms/resource_library/files/f9c37dcfce3d72cd/2019_faq_document_snow_and_ice.pdf