The City of Joliet Roadways Division will mobilize its crews when there is a measurable accumulation of snowfall or if the winter mix is causing a hazardous driving situation such as freezing rain. The Roadways Division is responsible for over 600 miles of roadway with a fleet of 40 snow plow trucks and a crew of 40 operators. Joliet has a goal of clearing all streets within twenty-four (24) hours after the snow stops falling. Heavier snows often take longer to clear.

Due to the volume of streets to be cleared of snow and the staffing and equipment available, Roadways crews will not return to streets where parked vehicles have been avoided during snow removal operations. Crews will return during normal working hours after all streets have been cleared

The City of Joliet crews plow most streets within the City limits, however there are a number of roads that are the responsibility of other Governmental agencies. For example, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) plows Larkin Avenue, Plainfield Road, Chicago Street south of Fifth Avenue, Jefferson Street west of Larkin, and Theodore Street east of Cedarwood. The County of Will plows Briggs Street.

STREET PLOWING OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: 
    1. Major Arterials, hospital routes, hills, and the bridges. 
    2. Subdivision mains and collector streets. 
    3. All remaining subdivision streets. 
    4. Cul-de-sacs and dead ends. 
    5. The City does NOT plow alleys.

During larger snow events (typically great than 5”), the City may elect to call out prearranged contractors to assist with snow removal in the many cul-de-sacs located throughout the City. The City’s large snow removal equipment is not able to navigate as well as the loaders and other equipment utilized by outside contractors.  Typically, if the City calls out the contractors, it is not until after a majority of the snow has fallen.  The contractors are monitored by Department of Public Works staff. 

Beginning November 1 through April 1, The City of Joliet Snow Parking Ban will be in effect.

Ordinance Revising Parking During and After Snowfalls

Whenever possible, please park all vehicles in your driveways during a snow event to help facilitate the safe removal of snow on your street. When a measurable snow event meets 2 inches in accumulation, the Snow Parking Ban is put into effect. All vehicles must be moved off of public streets until the City of Joliet’s snow plow trucks have had a chance to plow the snow on the street.

During this winter, the City of Joliet intends to fully enforce the Snow Parking Ban. The Joliet Police Department will have the option of issuing a parking ticket and/or having the vehicle towed. All towing and storage costs will be the responsibility of the vehicle owner.

When plowing is required, snow “berms” are unavoidably created across driveways. The plow operators do not have control over the wind-row of snow coming off the edge of the blade. The Street Division tries to keep this problem to a minimum. Residents are reminded that shoveling or plowing snow into the street is strictly prohibited by local ordinance. To minimize the frustrating problem of the snowplow covering your driveway with snow after you’ve just shoveled it, stand facing the street and shovel snow into the yard or parkway instead of the street. 

Property owners should be aware that placing, dumping, or pushing snow onto City streets or right-of-ways from adjacent properties is prohibited by City of Joliet Ordinance 26-209.

The City of Joliet provides some sidewalk clearing in the downtown only.  The City does not clear sidewalks in residential or business neighborhoods and applauds citizens and proprietors for clearing sidewalks to help their neighbors and customers weather the storm.

Sidewalks should be cleared to the pavement at least one shovel’s width within 24 hours after a snowfall event. This makes it easier for children to walk to school or the bus stop.  Please lend a hand to elderly or disabled neighbors who cannot clear their own sidewalks, porches, and steps.

The City of Joliet utilizes a mixture of rock salt and organic liquids containing sugar beet juice in the fight against snow accumulation and freezing on the roadways. This combination allows for the material to be effective down to a temperature of minus thirty degrees (-30) Fahrenheit. In addition, this mixture will be less corrosive to the streets, vehicles, and vegetation within the City of Joliet. Residents should expect to see a brownish residue on the streets as opposed to the white residue. As with the salt, this material is easily washed off vehicles.

In addition, the City of Joliet will be proactive in their snow fighting with the application of an anti-icing program where the streets are treated with a chemical composition to combat the onset of the accumulation of snow and ice and also prohibit the bond between the snow and ice and the pavement. This will allow for a quicker cleanup of the roadways, while also slowing down the snow/ice accumulation on the roadway. This chemical composition to be used consists of salt brine, beet juice, and calcium chloride. Residents should expect to see this on the main routes throughout the City. As more equipment becomes available this treatment will be expanded to all the streets in the City of Joliet.

The City of Joliet snow fighters make every effort to clear the roads from curb to curb where cars are not parked on the street. In many cases with wet snow, the snow or plow blade may damage/remove mailboxes that are set close to the street; this is unavoidable. Mailbox damage complaints will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

The City of Joliet will not reimburse for any mailbox damage on improperly located mailboxes. The standard and accepted mailbox placement should be 42 inches measured from the ground surface to the bottom of the mailbox. The mailbox should be located so the front of the box is no closer than 6 inches from the back of curb. Any questions regarding the placement of mailboxes should be directed to the Joliet Post Office at 815-773-1089.

The residents of Joliet are asked to be patient and recognize that during the winter months there may be some minor inconvenience. Snow operations are labor intensive and equipment does break down on occasion. Snow removal crews work long hours to keep the streets clear and safe. We ask for everyone’s cooperation to help keep our streets safe as well.