When a snow or ice event hits Columbia, snow plows must treat and plow the equivalent lane miles of the distance from Columbia to Miami. The Public Works Department, Boone County and the Missouri Department of Transportation share responsibility for treating and plowing streets in and around Columbia. Columbia has more than 1,300 lane miles of streets and more than 1,100 cul-de-sacs. The sheer volume of cul-de-sacs and lane miles makes it necessary to prioritize roads during ice and snow events.
Over one-third of Columbia’s roads, almost 500 lane miles, are priority routes that create a network of major roads and residential streets that extend throughout the City towards as many neighborhoods as possible. They include such residential streets as Battle Avenue, Worley Street, Thornbrook Terrace and more. Their primary purpose is to ensure safe passageways to and from major highways, hospitals, schools, fire stations and commercial areas.
| Street or Area | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| First Priority Streets | Major residential and arterial streets for public safety needs | e.g., Broadway, Green Meadows Road, Vandiver Drive |
| Second Priority Streets | Heavily traveled collector and residential streets for Public Safety and City/school bus routes as well as streets connecting to schools, hospitals and other critical areas |
e.g., Derby Ridge Drive, Fairview, Parkade |
| Optimization Routes (Third Priority – Pilot Phase ) |
This year some new optimization routes are being piloted to facilitate vehicle access to first/second priority routes as well as residential neighborhoods. | e.g., Steeple Chase, Dunbar, Keystone |
| City Priority Areas | Downtown Streets & Priority Neighborhoods |
Downtown: |
| MoDOT Routes | Major roads in and around Columbia that are plowed and treated by the Missouri Department of Transportation |
e.g. I-70, Hwy 163, Broadway, Business Loop 70, College Ave., Rangeline St., Stadium |
Interactive Online Mapopens in a new window
How to Use the Interactive Online Map: Click on the interactive map. Click on the filter icon in the top right-hand corner. Check the box that says “Snow_ Routes_Areas.”
Online Map Key:
- Red = 1st Priority
- Blue = 2nd Priority
- Purple = 3rd Priority
- Green = MoDOT
- Diagonal lines = priority neighborhoods and areas
Poster of Priority Routes – Large File (pdf) – Nov. 30, 2017
Ward Maps: Printable Maps of Priority Streets (pdf) for 2017 – 2018
- Snow Policies for 2 inches of Snow
- Snow Policies for 4 inches of Snow
- Snow Policies for Heavy Snowfall
- Sign up for Nixle Alerts
- What is a passable road?
- What is a Priority Neighborhood?
- Preparing for Snow Season – A Citizen’s Guide (pdf)
- City Snow Fighting Summary – City Channel Videoopens in a new window
- Snow Policies and Procedures Overview
