INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Department of Public Works announced a new snow response plan Thursday morning, establishing clearer guidelines for when different types of roads will be plowed throughout the winter months.
The plan comes after the City-County Council passed an amendment following a January snowstorm that left many residents stranded in their neighborhoods for days.
"They were stuck at home their roads weren't getting plowed, they couldn't get out," said Kristin Jones, a City-County Council member on the public works committee. "The situation with the January snow fight… we live in Indiana, it will snow and be 50 degrees the next day, but with this particular snow fight, it was cold, it snowed, it stayed cold, it snowed, it stayed cold, we had a really bad week, so they were stuck at home for quite a while."
Kyle Bloyd, chief communications officer for Indianapolis DPW, said the department spent much of the year examining snow plowing standards to develop something that more clearly defines what will be plowed when to meet residents' expectations.
Three-tier plowing system
The new plan establishes a three-tier system based on road priority:
Priority 1: Thoroughfares - heavily traveled roads used by emergency vehicles - will be plowed when there is zero to 2 inches of snow.
Priority 2: Connector roadways - more highly traveled residential roads that connect to main thoroughfares - will be plowed when 2 to 4 inches fall.
Priority 3: Remaining Residential roads will be plowed by contractors when snow stops falling and there are 4 or more inches of accumulation throughout the county.
The amendment required DPW to develop new snowplowing standards with various inch thresholds after the council heard extensive feedback from constituents.
"I am so excited all 25 councilors were getting feedback from our constituents," Jones said. "They were confused. They did not know what was happening with our snow fight. They wanted advocacy, we responded."
Priority bike network identified
The new plan also identifies a priority network of bike infrastructure that will be cleared, including:
- Monon Trail
- Fall Creek Trail
- Nickel Plate Trail
- Pennsy Trail
- B&O Trail
Protected bike lanes within the Mile Square will also be cleared, while additional bike infrastructure will be cleared through standard curb-to-curb plowing efforts.
New equipment additions
DPW is adding new equipment to support the enhanced snow response:
Heavy snow trucks for thoroughfare plowing have been ordered as part of the 2026 adopted budget and GO Bond issuance and will arrive for next winter.
One-ton plows:14 additional trucks ordered with money from spring fiscal allocations - will be used for connector streets and bus lanes.
Utility vehicles: 4 additional units being procured - will be used for trails and bike lanes.
