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1. A private snow removal truck pushed snow onto my sidewalk / yard. Who can I call to report this?

Cleveland Heights Ordinance 751.06 states "No person shall deposit or cause to be deposited snow or ice which has been removed from private property onto the median strips or any streets, sidewalks or other paved portions of the public rights of way of the City, or onto any private property without the permission of the owner.” If you see this occur, please call the Police Non-Emergency number at 216-321-1234 to report it.

2. Can snow from my driveway be blown into the street?

Snow may not be pushed or blown into the street from private property, nor may it be pushed onto your neighbor's property.  Please remind your snow plow service that they are not permitted to push snow onto medians, across the street or onto property that it did not fall upon.

3. How does the City decide what streets are plowed first?

In removing the snow and ice, the City responds first to all of the main roads, and secondary "feeder" streets, which must be kept open to provide a transportation network to the largest volume of people. Hills and areas near schools are also a priority. Once these areas are in passable condition, crews head to clear the residential side streets.

4. My street has not been plowed of snow yet. Why not?

Crews clear the residential side streets after the main roads after the main roads are cleared.

5. Who is responsible for removing snow from the sidewalks?

According to Cleveland Heights Ordinance 521.04, property owners are responsible for keeping the sidewalks clear of debris as well as snow and ice within 24 hours of a snowfall.  

6. Why do the snow plows push snow into my driveway and who is responsible for clearing it?

The snow must be removed from the traveled portion of the road. Unfortunately, this cannot be helped and we apologize for the inconvenience it causes you. Snow left in driveways by the city while snow plowing is the residents' and owners' responsibility to remove. When the city receives a heavy snowfall, if possible, do not shovel your driveway until after the plow has gone by.

7. Why does the plow not remove all the snow from my road?

The plows are designed to ride on “shoes” that raise the blade approximately one inch from the roadway surface. This is done to prevent damage to both the vehicle and the infrastructure from raised manholes, catch basins or water valves.  Streets with low traffic volumes will therefore remain snow covered for longer periods of time.

8. Why doesn’t the City clean my driveway?

There are approximately 20,000 driveways in the City. The cost to clean all the driveways and the liability to the City for damage to the driveway or property is prohibitive.

9. Why doesn’t the City salt the side streets?

Secondary and residential streets are plowed, but not salted. The cost to salt the residential streets is prohibitive. In addition, the road salt has a negative environmental effect and reduces the longevity of the road surface.