Why are there a lot of sand/rocks on Vancouver streets?
 

Hey does anyone notice that there are a lot of sand and little rocks on Vancouver(Metro Vancouver) streets? In all the cities not just one particular city. Whenever I drive on Vancouver streets, I can sometimes feel there are sand bouncing off the tires. Why do we have so much sand on the road? I don't understand... :confused:

its from when the roads are prepared for the winter season. when you see those big trucks putting salt on the streets, its actually a mixture of salt/sand, the salt to melt the ice and the sand to provide traction. so when the weather clears up the sand is left over and wont go away until a rain storm, untill they clean the streets, or untill ppl drive on the sand and slowly blow it away or get it stuck to their car lol

Good answer... I would like to add to it...

Also because of the winter cold the roads become damage. The damage is usually in the form of pot holes. Pieces of the road do break apart as little pieces of rocks. As more trucks and cars go over the pot hole it gets worst and more of the road breaks apart.

are you retarded?

:lol

you clearly haven't been to Alberta/anywhere else in Canada

What I'm interested to know is, doesn't the sand fuck up the sewers? I know once or twice is fine but in the long run...

+1:thumbsup:....

loll

Yeah... if you go to Kamloops, the streets are like a beach.

The colder the temperatures are, the more sand they use... because once the temperature goes under a certain threshold like -6°C or something, salt does nothing.

come to Calgary. is sand, rocks, salt every way. rocks especially...my windshield is cracked again this winter from the flying rocks and need to be replaced...suzuki this time. last yr was my mx5 which I no longer drive this winter and parked in the garage...

in calgary there are actually street sweepers that clean the streets of rocks and debri in the summer. i dont think i've seen any street sweepers in vancouver

yes they do. the posted "street sweeping do not park" signs on the street in front of where i work last week, but of course no one paid attention so when the sweeper came it was all parked up and a fleet of tow trucks came and towed everyone away.

as for the sewer system the city has large tankers or pumper trucks hooked up to fire hydrants that come by and pump water thru the grates.

:haha:

How do you people even notice this stuff? I never noticed it, and I still don't.

i saw a couple of city workers pumping water out of the sewer that was beside my house

You're not into rollerblading then are you???

With all the snow we had this winter my windshield is pitted and has THREE dings and it's supposed to snow more tomorrow!!! ugghhh

The salt we use here is ineffective below certain temperatures. There are other salts that are more effective, and which won't cause rusting of cars... but they're more expensive. They're also safer for the environment, but hey, cheaper is the key.

It's the price we pay to be able to drive in the winter, in a northern climate. And yes, we are in a northern climate.

My mom made my sister and I sift through the sand for (table) salt when we were younger. It's good to have money again, that's all I can say.