Sudbury snow banks growing — along with complaints

Dozens of Sudbury residents are calling city hall asking for plows to remove the mounds of snow banks at the ends of their driveways — but the city says it can't get them all.

City roads director David Shelsted said the city’s focus is on making sure the snow doesn't block the views of drivers at intersections and along major roads.

He said residents are responsible for the safety of their own driveways — not to mention the fact it would cost millions of dollars for Greater Sudbury to become snowbank-free.

"We have a huge city," Shelsted said.

"So, where do you start, where do you finish? And it would take a considerable amount of time and we wouldn't even get close to finished before it started melting and going away."

Shelsted said he's hoping for no more snow, and a nice slow melt into spring, before Sudbury runs out of places to store its snow.

‘Running out of room’

That hope provides no comfort to Sudbury resident Corey Black, who grunts as he tosses snow up in the air, aiming for the top of the snow bank at the end of his driveway.

"I'm running out of room," he said.

Black said the snow banks continue to be a problem once the driveway is clear and he gets in his car.

"Trying to back out of the driveway in the car, I can't see any oncoming traffic," he said.

"So I have to back out far enough and then it gets dangerous."

Shelstead said city crews will remove snow banks if a street becomes too narrow for cars to pass through safely. But he said citizens have to do their part too.

"What we tell the residents is the private driveways are their responsibility," Shelsted said.

"[They need to] ... shave the top off of them, to make sure [they] have appropriate sightlines to access the road safely."