DOT expands road salt management pilot program

ALBANY | New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez has announced a statewide expansion of the Department's road salt management pilot program for the 2025-26 snow and ice season, building off previous efforts by NYSDOT and other state agency partners to strategically implement safe, smart, and fiscally responsible salt reduction improvements while maintaining a safe and reliable transportation system. These efforts include the implementation of enhanced training for snowplow operators, continuous evaluation of innovative equipment, and utilization of best management practices for reducing road salt while maintaining the safety of roads for the traveling public. "No task is too small when it comes to reducing salt on state roads," Commissioner Dominguez said. "Our crews are looking at every aspect of their operations holistically, from loading salt on trucks, to checklists and performance reviews, to equipment cleaning, to new weather forecasting partnerships that help us better prepare for storms. We are continuously improving our operations, refining our craft and adopting best management practices throughout the year that our crews can utilize during snow and ice events. We've even added road temperature sensors to our entire fleet so we know the exact materials to use before, during and after storms. Our Department prepares for snow and ice season year round, and our crews will be ready this year to reduce salt, protecting the environment while maintaining a safe highway system for all New Yorkers." Since 2018, the Department of Transportation has conducted successful road salt management initiatives, utilizing a number of best practices to effectively reduce salt usage throughout the state and in particular, the Adirondack Park. The success of these initiatives can be demonstrated by comparing historical salt application rates with recent data. Historically, the seven-year statewide average application rate for granular salt was 194 pounds per lane-mile. During the 2024-25 snow and ice season, the statewide average application rate for granular salt was reduced to 172 pounds per lane-mile. Specifically, the DLA (Direct Liquid Application) method employed during this period achieved an even lower rate of 120 pounds per lane-mile while safely maintaining the state highway system for the traveling public. In 2020, the Department of Transportation began implementing a direct liquid application (DLA) component to its road salt reduction pilot program. DLA utilizes liquid salt brine instead of granular road salt. This method has been proven successful in the Adirondack Park and has been implemented in other locations across the state. This coming snow and ice season, the DOT will be expanding the use of DLA to sections of the following state roads. This coming snow and ice season, the DOT will be expanding the use of DLA using liquid salt brine to include routes 9, 9N and 373 in Clinton County. In addition to these concentrated efforts, as it does every year, the Department of Transportation will focus on continuous improvement to further expand road salt reduction in all areas of the state in the coming snow and ice season. For over a decade, the DOT has worked to refine its policies and procedures regarding salt management while remaining at the forefront of technological innovation. These efforts include but are not limited to the development of an internal policy on salt storage best practices, utilization of GPS technology to connect material spreaders with GPS applications, use of segmented plow blades and direct liquid applications in place of road salt, and support for national research projects that include the use of prewetted solid materials for anti-icing. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, "DEC continues to work closely with our partners at the State Departments of Transportation and Health to advance best management practices to reduce the impacts of road salt on local communities and New York's environment. Through Governor Hochul's historic investments in water quality improvements, New York State is providing significant resources for communities statewide to reduce road salt impacts and implement recommendations for road salt use reduction. We look forward to continuing these efforts to protect water quality and public safety." Since the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force report was issued in 2023, the Department of Environmental Conservation, in collaboration with DOT, is leveraging New York's historic investments in clean water infrastructure funding to help reduce road salt applications and improve water quality while maintaining public safety. DEC updated its Water Quality Improvement Projects Grant (WQIP) in 2024 to include $15 million in funding statewide for implementation of road salt reduction best management practices, including salt storage, brine making equipment and storage, and segmented plow blades. These funds also support municipal use of GPS and other sensors to track application of deicers and road temperature. Additionally, in 2024, DEC made funding available to complete Winter Road Maintenance Plans, a new project type available through the Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning Grant (NPG). The funds will help communities compile information on existing conditions, natural resources impacted by salt, and current salt practices, and plan for implementation of salt reduction practices. To date, $52 million has been awarded to 204 projects statewide for salt storage and road salt reduction practices through these grants, including $15 million for 39 projects in 2024. DEC and DOT are actively reviewing the latest round of WQIP and NPG grant applications for 2025. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, "The State Health Department joins Governor Hochul in recognizing the need to store and use road salt in a way that both improves winter road safety while protecting drinking water supplies and public health. The Department will continue to work with local health departments and our state agency partners to determine whether and where road salt is affecting drinking water resources and support programs and best practices to keep New Yorkers healthy, now and for years to come."

Signup for our newsletter

DOT expands road salt management pilot program

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS