ARLINGTON — While neighboring towns were coping with snowfall and slush-covered streets Feb. 22, Arlington had sunny skies and dry roads for much of the day, but that didn’t stop them from planning ahead.

“We’re mixing sand and salt to prevent ice from accumulating,” Arlington Public Works Director Jim Kelly said. “All of our trucks are tuned up and plugged in for a hot start, and all our chains are out in case we need to put them on our tires. We’re ready to go.”

The Arlington Public Works truck fleet expanded from two to three last year, with the smaller third truck being committed to plowing Arlington schools’ parking lots. A PDF map of the city of Arlington’s primary snowplow routes is posted on its website.

“We have about 68 miles of roads under our purview,” Kelly said. “Our plow routes are prioritized by main thoroughfares and access-ways for medical, fire and police. We also partner with the school district.”

The city places the highest snow and ice removal priorities on its busiest streets, as well as those streets which connect city neighborhoods to state highways and are used most frequently by public safety agencies. High plow priority is also placed on streets important to public institutions, such as hospitals and schools, and streets used by transit agencies. Non-arterial streets will be plowed as time and equipment allow, although they are not the city’s first priority.

The city of Arlington does not maintain private driveways or streets outside of the city limits.