A snow emergency continues to be in effect in Lower Merion Township in anticipation of substantial snowfall and accumulation predicted for February 9—10. During a snow emergency:

• No vehicles are permitted to be parked along the snow emergency route. (Emergency routes are identified by official signs and are located at the beginning and end of each route. Township Code Chapter sections 145-61 through 145-66 identifies all the emergency snow routes by street name.)
• Vehicles remaining on an emergency snow route are in violation and will be removed by the owner or the Lower Merion Police Department. Vehicles removed by the Police Department will be stored in an impound lot for safety until returned to the owner. Owners must pay for the tow and storage of there vehicle and a fine of $50 plus court costs.
• Vehicles are prohibited from parking in the circular part of any cul-de-sac, which impedes the snow removal process.

Public Works crews have been working steadily to clear roadways and continue to salt and plow throughout Township. “We are concentrating on the tertiary streets and will continue to do so until the next storm, which is forecast to impact our area on Tuesday evening,” remarked Don Cannon, Director of Public Works. “We continue to ask that citizens not shovel snow into the street, which impedes our cleanup process.”

Following a winter storm, it is the responsibility of all property owners to clear a 30-inch wide pathway in the sidewalk in front of their respective property within 30 hours. Failure to comply is a violation (Township Code Chapter 133-4 “Clearing of sidewalks required; piling of snow in streets prohibited") that could result in a fine of up $600. It is also a violation for private contractors to plow or pile snow onto Township roads.

“The purpose of this code is to reduce the risk to public safety,” remarked Supt. Michael J. McGrath of the Lower Merion Police Department. “Removing ice and snow from sidewalks reduces the likelihood of injuries to pedestrians.”

“The Lower Merion Township Fire Department is also asking citizens to “adopt a fire hydrant” and help clear snow that could impede volunteer firefighters’ access to a hydrant.

For complete information on snow emergencies and snow removal in Lower Merion Township, visit www.lowermerion.org and follow the Department prompt to “Public Works – Snow Emergencies.” Viewers can also tune in LMTV (Comcast channel 7/Verizon Channel 37) for continuous information.