The best way to make sure fire hydrants are visible and ready for use in an emergency is to adopt one or more hydrants near your property by shoveling around them for easy access by firefighters. This is a great winter project for kids, especially if an elderly or disabled neighbor is unable to take care of it.

• Higher priority is given to local arterial and collector streets (such as Kuhn Road, Lies Road, Birchbark and Fair Oaks) because they handle the greatest volume of traffic.
• Each of the sixteen (16) routes in the Snow Plan directs drivers to plow streets in a certain order based upon priority.
• In many Villages, cul-de-sacs are plowed last. However, since Carol Stream uses contractors to plow cul-de-sacs, we are able to start this work within a short time after thru-street plowing begins.

When snow is falling, typically operations will begin as snow starts to cover streets or earlier if the Police Department reports icy conditions.

Depending on the forecast an operation may start with a limited crew and expand if needed.  The Snow & Ice Control Plan includes established salt and plow routes, which make optimum use of manpower, equipment and salt supplies.

Higher priority is given to local arterial and collector streets because they direct motorists to county and state roads, as well as federal interstates, and therefore, affect the greatest number of people. After these priority roads become passable, crews begin to plow local streets, dead ends and cul-de-sacs.

In many Villages, cul-de-sacs are plowed last. However, since Carol Stream uses contractors to plow cul-de-sacs, we are able to start this work within a short time after thru-street plowing begins.

Village ordinance prohibits parking of any vehicle on a Village street at any time within 12 hours after a snowfall of one inch or more has occurred, unless the snow has been plowed off or otherwise removed from the street. Curb-to-curb plowing insures proper drainage of snowmelt and prevents ice patches from forming on the streets from snow-clogged storm drains.

A parking ban remains in effect until streets have been cleared of snow.

This is a question we hear quite often. Simply stated, in order to clear the street for vehicular traffic, snow must be pushed towards the curb, which means it also gets pushed to the end of driveways as they intersect the street. 

A strategy you can use to help limit this problem is to clear about ten feet of snow from the right side of your driveway (as you are facing it) and pile the snow to the left of your driveway- downstream of plowing operations.

No. Besides violating Village Code, snow placed illegally in the street may be compacted and harden into ice patches, creating a safety hazard. For the safety of the motoring public, the Village asks residents to refrain from shoveling snow onto the street.

Only if the mailbox has been properly installed as per United States Postal Service guidelines. The Village will not replace an improperly installed mailbox.

To report a damaged mailbox:

• Contact Public Works by calling (630) 871-6260.
• A member of our staff will be dispatched to investigate.
• If the Village is responsible and a replacement is needed, we will quickly provide a temporary mailbox until a permanent repair or replacement can be made.

These lines are the result of anti-icing procedures, a proactive approach to disrupt the bond between snow and pavement. When conditions warrant, liquid salt brine (salt dissolved in water) is applied to the roadway before an expected snowfall or icing event.

Preventive anti-icing results in less ice and snow bonding with the pavement, reduces overall salt usage and can decrease the amount of time spent plowing.

Reducing overall salt usage is a major focus of the IEPA and area agencies with the goal of reducing chlorides in waterways, which is damaging to aquatic life.

Flag markers are placed on fire hydrants in winter to assist the Fire Department in locating hydrants buried in the snow. Tampering with or removing these markers will prolong the time it takes firefighters to locate a hydrant in an emergency. Residents who have a fire hydrant on their property are asked to remove snow from around the hydrant.

On garbage collection days, residents are asked to keep their refuse and recycling containers on their private property. Refuse or recycling containers placed in the street, which are then damaged by a plow truck, will not be replaced by the Village.

Carol Stream does not provide plowing or salting services on state or county roads that run through the Village. If you have questions or complaints about services on state or county roads, please contact the following: