Snow Plow Operations

The Village of Richfield Department of Public Works needs your help in making our roadways safe this winter season!

• Be prepared for winter driving and possible delays due to the weather.
• Please obey the winter parking ordinance, and keep parked vehicles off the roadways.
   (Ordinance Number 351-40) 
• Do not throw or push snow from your driveway into or across the street, it's against the law!
• Do not follow too closely to plow trucks, give them room to work. If you cannot see their mirror(s), they cannot see you! Plow back up frequently so it is important to maintain a safe following distance of at least 200 feet.
• Even though a road has been plowed and salted (or sanded), drive carefully. There may still be some slick spots. Even in areas where you can see asphalt the potential exists for 'black ice'.
• The Village is responsible for plowing 309 "lane miles" which is handled by eight (8) plow trucks each with intricately designed routes to service our residents.
• The average plow route is approximately 36 lane miles. 

The Village of Richfield has categorized winter weather operations according to the type of storm and classification of the road. It is our goal to maintain roads in a drivable condition and return them to normal conditions according to the priority classification established below.

• Priority 1: Main roads (Arterials) - Clean dry pavement in driving lanes
• Priority 2: Secondary roads (Collectors) - Plowed, but may have slight snow cover, or ice pack
• Priority 3: Low volume residential roads (Locals), Dead Ends and Cul-De-Sacs - Plowed, but may have moderate snow cover, or ice pack

Village plow operators are drawn from Public Works, Parks, Fleet Maintenance and On-call seasonal employees. This work force is available for "normal" working hours as well as "after hours" operations. These operators are also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Village. Staffing is constantly being evaluated and adjusted to ensure we are providing the best possible services to the residents of the Village of Richfield. Staffing can also be dictated by the intensity of a weather system, hours of the day/evening and overall volume of traffic throughout the Village.

Winter weather presents challenges which all drivers should be prepared for. Each storm has its own unique characteristics with variable conditions such as wind, temperature, timing, duration and moisture content. As you know, in Wisconsin driving conditions can deteriorate quickly! We ask all drivers to prepare themselves and their vehicles with the necessary winter driving equipment and also allow extra time to reach their destinations. Drivers should ALWAYS be prepared for the unexpected and respond accordingly.