After a quiet start to winter with little snow, things have gotten a lot busier for the hard-working city crews who clear the snow from our Omaha parks. This lets us safely park and get some exercise on cleared trails, no matter the weather earlier in the week.
We met up with David Austin, Supervisor of Park Operations for the city, at Lake Zorinsky to see how they get the job done after each snow.
There are roughly 250 parks across the city with about 330 miles of walking and running trails that need cleared. If that wasn't enough, Austin's crews also prioritize school grounds, then work on libraries and community centers. In total, that is about 150 acres of parking.
It takes about 40 full-time employees to get the job done. After last Wednesday's snow, which piled up 3.2 inches at Eppley, the cleanup took 20 hours.
To help the clear the snow, the crew has a variety of tools. Some park trails are 10 feet wide and can handle a lot of weight. For these areas, a truck with a normal plow can be used. Smaller trails and pedestrian bridges are cleared with lighter vehicles and smaller plows. Many of these have enclosed and heated spaces for the driver, but a lot of work is also done out in frigid weather.
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