Denver changes residential plowing rules; City to plow when 6 or more inches of snow expected

DENVER -- The City of Denver will deploy its fleet of plows, including residential snow plows, Wednesday for the snow storm.

Since 2007, Denver's policy has been to deploy the residential plows only when 12 or more inches of snow were predicted.

However, the City of Denver has changed its policy and will now deploy the residential plows when there is six or more inches of snow in the forecast.

“We’ve called out the residential plows in the past when faced with very large snowstorms," said Jose Cornejo, Executive Director of Denver Public Works. "This year, we are transitioning the program into one that will be helpful to residents on more occasions throughout the winter season."

On a weekday, deploying the neighborhood plows costs $20,000 to $25,000 for a 12-hour shift, including four hours of overtime for the crews, according to Denver Public Works. If the plow drivers are assigned to an 8-hour shift, there is no overtime and no extra cost.

The neighborhood plows have only been called out about a dozen times in the last ten years, officials said.