Press releases

• Winter road maintenance requirements take effect on November 1. Employees of the Aachen Municipal Services Department will then be on standby.
• Roads, paths and squares are cleared of snow and ice by the mechanical winter service according to the degree of urgency.
• Property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the area in front of their property.

Winter road maintenance obligations begin in November. Over the past few weeks, everything has been prepared for this at the Aachen City Services facility: The vehicles have been equipped with snow plow blades and grit spreaders, and the storage facilities are full: Approximately 1,000 metric tons of salt, 150 metric tons of grit, and 35,000 liters of wet salt are on hand so that emergency crews can get to work immediately in the event of snow or black ice.

Keeping roads and streets safe in winter is a critical task. In addition to its legal obligation to ensure public safety, the municipal public works department takes special care to operate in a resource-efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Approximately 300 employees stand ready to respond immediately when winter road conditions arise.

1,200 roads with a total length of about 1,500 kilometers
. When a full-scale winter maintenance operation is called for at night, dozens of winter maintenance vehicles are on the road throughout the city—ranging from large and small snowplows to tractors. They keep approximately 1,200 streets with a total length of about 1,500 kilometers clear. Since not every road can be cleared at the same time in snow and ice, the team works according to a clear priority plan: Starting promptly at 3 a.m., the most important routes are tackled first. These include main roads and thoroughfares, bus routes, and access roads to hospitals (Priority Level 1). Once these approximately 555 kilometers have been cleared by around 7 a.m., work continues seamlessly on the roughly 457 kilometers of Priority Level 2—primarily connecting roads and residential collector roads. Priority Level 3 covers streets used exclusively by residents and local traffic. Winter maintenance on these streets is carried out after Level 2 and covers a total of 423 kilometers.

Manual Winter Maintenance and Bike Paths
: In addition to mechanical winter maintenance, manual winter maintenance crews typically begin working as early as 3 a.m. to ensure traffic safety at 460 locations, including intersections, pedestrian zones and crosswalks, bridges, and stairways. The municipal department is also responsible for winter maintenance on bike paths. Within the city limits, this covers 90 kilometers of routes classified as Priority Level 1, plus an additional 25 kilometers classified as Priority Level 2.

Responsibilities of Property Owners
Property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks. In general, only abrasives such as sand or gravel may be used for spreading. Exceptions apply only where this is insufficient and there is an immediate risk of an accident—for example, in the case of thick ice, on stairs, or on slopes. Sidewalks must be kept clear of snow to a width of one and a half meters and gritted when icy. This requirement also applies at bus stops and pedestrian crossings, such as traffic lights, crosswalks, and lowered curbs. Here, too, the path up to the curb must be cleared and treated with grit so that everyone can arrive and depart safely.

When must snow be cleared?
On weekdays, snow that has fallen during the day between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. must be cleared immediately after the snowfall ends. Snow that falls at night after 8 p.m. must be cleared by 7 a.m. the next morning (by 9 a.m. on Sundays and holidays), and sidewalks must be salted.

Take Extra Caution on the Roads
Even with the best planning, winter brings certain restrictions for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. In snowy and icy conditions, all road users are therefore asked to show mutual consideration and exercise caution. Driving at a speed appropriate for road conditions significantly reduces the risk of accidents. Depending on weather conditions, it may be better to leave your vehicle at home. Cars should be parked in such a way that wide winter maintenance vehicles can pass through the streets easily.