Moncton city council votes to scale back sidewalk cleanup

Moncton city council voted to scale back their sidewalk clearing operations by 22 kilometres, saving the city $35,000.

It also means some collector routes will only see sidewalk clearing on one side.

“Those sides will have more snow than normal as far as infront of houses, but I guess it all depends on the type of winter we have,” said Don Morehouse, director of Public Works.

Morehouse says this won't impede access to any homes.

From November 2014 to the following April, more than 500 centimetres of snow fell on the city.

The move is necessary to help curtail a ballooning snow clearing budget that was almost $2 million in the red last year.

“Last winter was obviously a hard winter on our winter budget. I think everybody in Atlantic Canada had a hard winter on their budget,” said Morehouse.

Moncton's snow clearing budget for this year will be approved by council later this month. No increases are expected.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.