Omaha to hire private plows

The City of Omaha plans to hire private contractors to plow some of the city's residential streets this winter, a move Mayor Jim Suttle says will speed up the clearing of snow from neighborhoods so motorists can get around more safely and quickly.

The mayor announced a pilot program involving private snow removal today. The program was created in response to snow-related complaints from residents, which the mayor's office says top calls to his hot line.

About 15 percent to 20 percent of the city's residential streets will be plowed by private contractors. City crews will take care of the rest as well as major streets. In addition, city crews will spread salt on all streets after they are plowed.

"If there is an overnight snowfall, the goal is to get people out by morning," said Suttle spokesman Ron Gerard.

The city also is planning to clear downtown streets by pushing snow to the middle to avoid snow pileups on sidewalks and in parking areas. That will help improve access to curbside parking and be more accommodating to pedestrian traffic downtown, city officials said.

Suttle said the city would evaluate the cost effectiveness of using private contractors for the residential areas.

If the new plans, “work, great. If not, we'll try something else,” he said. “The word ‘pilot' is very key in all this.”

The city has in the past used private contractors to help out with snow removal, but it was sporadic and often occurred after a major storm.

This year is different because the crews have been hired to be on call throughout the winter. They will be required to start plowing an hour after it begins snowing and finish up in 24 hours.