GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY — The Grand Traverse County Road Commission is preparing for the winter season by checking each truck’s hydraulic system, electronics, and blades.
The fleet of 38 trucks is available for any given snow event within Grand Traverse County. There are 30 day truck routes and six night routes for snowplowing totaling 1,200 center lane miles which comes out to over 2400 lane miles of roads maintained during the winter months.
Each truck is currently undergoing the rigorous process of safety preparation for the season including checking each hydraulic system, all the state-of-the-art electronics systems within each truck, as well as sharpening the exterior blades to name a few of the season pre-check initiatives.
While the GTCRC is preparing for the season with truck and road maintenance, officials are also educating the driving public about Snowplow Safety with reminders including:
- Stay Back 200 Feet From Snowplows – The Operator of a vehicle shall not follow a snowplow more closely than 200 feet.
- The operator of a vehicle that is NOT a snowplow who approaches a snowplow from the rear that is stopped at or in an intersection shall stop not less than 20 feet from the snowplow.
- A person who violates this section (MCL 257.643b) is responsible for a civil infraction.
For winter fun facts from the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, click here.