The City of Ames has 7.33 miles of alleys of which approximately 1/2 are paved. The remainder of the surfaces are gravel in various stages of serviceability. Generally an alley serves a residential or commercial property by providing an access to that property. Almost all properties served by alleys also have frontage on public streets. Property owners, thereby, receive the major benefit of an adjacent alley.
A property owner wishing to have maintenance done on an alley should call the Public Works Department at 515-239-5160. After this initial contact is made, the Public Works staff will visit the site with the property owner and explain the general provisions for maintenance.
General Provisions for Alley Maintenance:
Street Division personnel will provide snow removal procedures on paved and unpaved alleys with the following provisions:
Snow removal priorities are as follows:
*Snow removal on alleys will be accomplished after an accumulation of 4" of snow has fallen.
*Unpaved alleys that do not meet adequate strength requirements to support removal equipment will not be plowed.
*Direction of plowing will be at the discretion of the operator.
*Commercial alleys in the downtown and Campustown area will be plowed first.
*Alleys will not receive ice control.
*When ice control operations are necessary, plowing of alleys will be interrupted.