'The roads are a mess': Saskatoon residents voice concerns over city road clearing

As crews make their way through city streets in the aftermath of last weekend’s storm, some Saskatoon residents say their efforts aren’t enough.

With two major snowfalls in the span of a week, Saskatoon has seen a combined total of 42 centimeters of snow, according to city officials.

Road clearing efforts are underway, with the City of Saskatoon reporting all priority one and most priority two streets have been plowed.

But some residents are upset, saying they’re left to pick up the pieces.

“It’s very frustrating that they come and they plow the entire street and they don't leave us any parking spots. We can't get our vehicles out. It takes everybody a couple of hours to dig,” Francine Skene said.

• Get the CTV News app for Saskatoon area breaking news alerts and top stories 

Dayton Marble said he noticed two ridges of snow that were eight inches high across his driveway.

“When I called the city, because it's less than 12 inches they refuse to come out,” Marble said.

He said he’s a senior with poor health and balance issues, so clearing the ridges himself is a safety risk.

The city is not planning to clear all residential roads, despite meeting the 25-centimeter threshold to activate the Roadways Emergency Response Plan.

“We have to make sure that we are taking care of safety first, but also, when does that threshold cross and we are just spending a lot of money that maybe we don't need to,” Mayor Cynthia Block told reporters on Tuesday.

Block says activating the plan would cost an additional $18 to 20 million in the snow and ice removal budget.

One resident says not clearing the roads poses some safety concerns.

“People are stuck in their homes, they can't get out, the roads are a mess. There's emergencies. The ambulance can't get in part of the time here,” Joan Phipps said.

In a statement to CTV News, the city says it will continue to monitor the situation, and address concerns and safety hazards as they arise.