Cedar Rapids launches interactive snowplow map

CEDAR RAPIDS — A new mapping tool is making it easier to see which Cedar Rapids streets have been cleared during major snow events.

The city recently launched an in-house snowplow tracking system to provide citizens with near real-time data on where snowplows are and have been during winter storms. When active, the map is updated every 20 minutes.

The goal of the program is to provide a customizable, user-friendly experience that helps citizens and business owners make informed travel decisions during times of significant winter weather, said Assistant Public Works Director Mike Duffy.

“We’ve been tracking our equipment for a number of years … internally, and now we want to provide that information to the public,” Duffy said. “We really wanted to enhance our communication with the public about our operational response … so they can make decisions about what works best for them.”

The map is publicly available on the city’s snow and ice control website, although it is inactive outside of significant snow events. When active, it includes several operational modes depending on the phase and level of response.

Those include a “pretreatment” mode to show which streets have been pretreated ahead of anticipated ice- or snowfall; a “main routes” mode for when the city’s fleet is clearing main arterials; and an “all plows” mode for when all snow removal equipment has been deployed.

The map includes interactive points that identify when and where a specific vehicle has been, meaning users can see how recently a plow has cleared a given street. Once a specific vehicle is selected, users can also track the path it traveled.

“We’ve tried to keep the features set to be simple and intuitive,” said Dane Atkins, an geospacial analyst for the city. “You can customize the layers (and) review the legend, … but maybe most importantly, you can just try clicking on the various points on the map to get a better idea of which plow is where and when.”

The system can track more than 50 vehicles at once, Atkins said, and has been tested to accurately operate for long periods of time without interruptions. Plows can be identified on the map by vehicle number, although some are listed under in-house names such as “Luke Snowwalker” or “Brrrtha.”

The program was a collaborative effort between the city’s Public Works and Information Technology departments, as well as its fleet management team, communications staff and more. Learn more about the new tool at crgis.cedar-rapids.org/SnowplowTracks/.

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