NOTN- Cold weather and heavy snow have hit Juneau, schools are closed today and CBJ offices are opening late, but Streets and Fleets is making sure those who can’t avoid travel, will get where they need to go.
Scott Gray started working for the City and Borough of Juneau in 1994, his job involved hauling snow off city streets.
More than three decades later, Gray now oversees the entire Streets & Fleets division, responsible for maintaining hundreds of miles of roads, sidewalks and public vehicles across the capital city.
Gray is superintendent of CBJ’s Streets & Fleets division, which maintains more than 250 lane miles of roads and roughly 32 miles of sidewalks. The division also manages snow removal, pavement repairs, traffic signs, stormwater systems and emergency response during glacial flooding events.
“One year, we got 194 inches of snow,” Gray said in a post on CBJ’s Facebook. “We were hauling, and hauling, and hauling. Emergency vehicles weren’t going to move if we didn’t do something.”
The work of Streets & Fleets extends well beyond snowstorms.
Planning begins months in advance to ensure equipment is operational and staff schedules are in place before winter arrives.
“Our crews have shifts starting at one in the morning through the afternoon to keep roads safe.” Gray said.
According to CBJ Public Works Streets Division, the Street Maintenance Division provides equipment and staffing for year-round preservation and maintenance of CBJ streets.
Operations include pavement surface maintenance, pedestrian facility maintenance, street sweeping, maintenance of storm drain facilities and snow plowing and removal during the winter months.
A staff of 32 full-time and seasonal employees to keep the streets and sidewalks safe for public travel.
While CBJ crews maintain most city roads, major arterial routes such as Egan Drive, Douglas Highway and North Douglas Highway fall under the responsibility of the Alaska Department of Transportation.
The division’s full-time employees maintain more than 260 vehicles and pieces of equipment used by Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Docks and Harbors and Community Development departments. That includes heavy-duty trucks, off-road equipment, generators and fueling systems.
As infrastructure and technology evolve, so do the demands on fleet maintenance staff. CBJ currently operates four electric vehicles and plans to expand its EV fleet in the future. Modern equipment now relies heavily on computers and emissions systems, increasing the need for specialized maintenance.