Edmonton road crews working to address slippery residential streets: ‘It’s a skating rink’

The City of Edmonton said it is working to address the slippery situation on city streets.

Sanders are out on the roads, applying sand and salt to slippery intersections, roads and hills, according to the city.

People are also asked to drive carefully amid the slippery conditions and leave extra time to get where they need to go.

A mix of rain, snow, wind and temperatures fluctuating above and below freezing have led to less than ideal road conditions, particularly in residential areas.

“It’s a skating rink,” said Bob Lee, who was walking in the Garneau area Friday. “Not an easy time to get around.”

1:54 Edmontonians chipping away at ice-covered sidewalks

Lee was pushing his wife Michelle in her wheelchair and said the ice made crossing the street with her pretty difficult.

“If they would salt more it would make things a heck of a lot easier. But they always seem to wait until it’s too little too late. They should have done it as soon as they were able to.”

Similar sentiments were shared by one cyclist in the area, who told Global News that while he typically uses the side streets to get around, he’s been forced onto the main roads.

Not only are the streets slick, pedestrians are finding some sidewalks to be in the same condition.

One man took to Twitter Thursday evening to share a video of him skating down the street.

Tristan Knight was wearing grips on the bottom of his winter boots while walking in the Garneau area Friday, a game-changer given the icy paths.

“It’s pretty bad, but with these I feel pretty good,” he said.

“Whether you’re walking to your car or you’re going to your house, you don’t want to slip on the ice, especially on these icy days like today.”

Edmonton is currently under a Phase 2 parking ban, which means people aren’t allowed to park their vehicles on residential roads, industrial area roads or in residential alleyways until the roads have been cleared.

Drivers can park on any road that has already been cleared as long as parking is normally allowed. The city also encourages people to talk to their neighbours and park in extra spaces they may have.

A spokesperson for the City of Edmonton told Global News that “all available crews are out working in all areas of the city to mitigate slippery conditions resulting from the recent freeze-thaw cycles.”

“We’re applying a sand and salt mixture on all roads, including residential areas. This will continue through the weekend,” the spokesperson said. “We also are responding to 311 notifications.

“Beyond the prioritization of road classes identified in the (city’s) snow and ice clearing service levels, residential areas are scheduled using a number of factors, including the area’s scheduled waste collection days so it does not impact cart placement for residents.”

With files from Dan Grummett, Global News.