UNL crews clear dozens of miles of snowy sidewalks to keep campus clear

With near-record breaking amounts of snow this winter, it’s really piling up. All around town there are huge piles several feet deep that only seem to get bigger.

It’s one thing to have to shovel your driveway. Imagine having to clear 15 miles of streets, 37 miles of sidewalks, and 90 acres of parking lots every time it snows. That’s the case for the University of Nebraska.

“You know I’d say probably for everyone it’s kind of increased wear and tear on everybody’s body and equipment. I think for all of us we’re ready for this season to be over,” Jeff Culbertson, Assistant Director of Operations of UNL Landscape Services, said.

This winter the university has put down 230 tons of ice remover, over twice than normal. That much salt shows that UNL’s landscape services doesn’t waste any time removing snow.

A team of nearly 100 people, almost half of whom are students – who get paid – arrive as early as 1 a.m. to battle the frozen powder. After firing up their equipment, crews tackle some of the most–trafficked areas first.

“We prioritize things like our housing areas is number one. We want to make sure that students are safe getting in and out of their housing areas,” Culbertson said. “Certain parking lots are prioritized.”

It’s a job that can take up to eight hours depending on the type of snow. Wet snow is heavier and can take more time to move. Despite the cold and occasional struggle, former UNL students like Anna Yost don’t mind the work so much. She enjoys the outdoors and is happy to help.

While getting rid of the cold white stuff can be frustrating, she urges people to let them know if there’s a problem.

“We’re honestly doing the best that we can. We have a lot of ground to cover. If there’s any concerns I encourage people to call the service desk and let us know because if there’s something we don’t know about we’ll get on it right away,” Yost said.

That is – until another snow makes them start all over.

While the top priority is making sure campus is safe, landscape services say the best way to make sure you don’t slip and fall is to simply watch where you’re going.