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The city of Calgary, Canada, has begun tracking its snow plows with a GPS tracking system. The intended goal of this GPS tracking system in Calgary will be to show which roads have been plowed and which roads are next for plows and sanders. The GPS tracking system will also show residents of Calgary where traffic is backed up, so they can adjust their commutes accordingly.

The program, which has been introduced right in time for the winter, is limited in that only 25% of the current snow plow vehicles have been equipped with GPS. However, this simply means that the map will cause residents and commuters to err on the side of caution with regards to their commutes.

Sean Somers of the Calgary roads department says that he knows that the GPS tracking system is incomplete. However, he hopes that city residents will use it as a useful tool to help plan their commutes.

The website will not be down during the winter months. Instead, it will double as a construction delay website for commuters to avoid construction or find detours.

In the coming months, Calgary will be expanding their GPS fleet tracking system to include more vehicles and to be more comprehensive. In the meantime, however, individuals can use the current service, located at http://calgary.ca/roadconditions, to track their commutes and plan for any potential snow delays.

Article Written by Greg Minton