Street Crews Prepare Plows for New Traffic Calming

St. Louis is training snow plow drivers to navigate new bumpouts and islands ahead of winter.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Safety

Empty winter city street with a concrete curb-extension island, white delineator posts, and a parked snowplow blade with snow banked against the curb. — St. Louis street crews are repeatedly running snowplow routes to train drivers on new traffic-calming bumpouts and islands before winter. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The St. Louis Streets Department is running plow routes repeatedly to prepare drivers for new traffic-calming infrastructure installed on city streets. The city is also ordering new white delineators to replace markers expected to be knocked down during plowing.

Why it matters

Traffic-calming features are designed to slow traffic and make streets safer, but they complicate snow removal by placing plows against concrete infrastructure. Preparing drivers in advance aims to reduce damage and keep clearing schedules on track for residents.

The Streets Department conducted a major dry run on October 15, and plow drivers will run routes 20 or 30 times before winter. Grand Boulevard is now two lanes narrower, and how the new infrastructure holds up in heavy snow remains unknown.

The players

Cara Spencer

Cara Spencer is the mayor of St. Louis, who created the Winter Weather Unified Command ahead of last winter.

St. Louis Streets Department

The St. Louis Streets Department is the city agency responsible for street maintenance and snow removal.

The details

New bumpouts and islands have been installed on city streets, and plow drivers are learning the routes by repeated runs. Plows will carry cameras giving views of streets from the vehicle, and a plow that hits a bumpout would be out of service for two hours.

October 15: The Streets Department conducted its major snow plow dry run.
Last winter: Mayor Cara Spencer created the Winter Weather Unified Command, which faced 18.6 inches of snow.
This winter: The unified command will gain real-time snow plow tracking and live street maps.

Seasonal Patterns

The Winter Weather Unified Command that Mayor Cara Spencer created last winter now extends its preparation to new traffic-calming infrastructure. Last winter's 18.6 inches of snow sets the benchmark against which this winter's clearing timelines will be judged.

Residents on streets with new bumpouts and islands should expect plows to navigate narrower lanes during snow events. Drivers should watch for the new white delineators and slow down near traffic-calming features during winter storms.

The takeaway

Preparing plow drivers through repeated route runs is one way cities can adapt snow removal to new street designs. Residents can help by keeping vehicles off delineated areas during clearing operations.

What happens next

By winter, drivers will have run their routes 20 or 30 times, and in heavy snow the city's main arteries are to be cleared within a day or two while residential areas are targeted within three days.