Overview
This project was initiated and sponsored by VMS, Inc., a privately owned, maintenance systems company based in Richmond, VA, that provides snow removal and other maintenance services for the Virginia DOT, the City of Washington, DC, the Texas DOT, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and the Oklahoma DOT. Their project manager was Robert H. Bourdon, P.E. His colleague, Kent Lande, P.E., assisted in critiquing the report. While this research is being funded privately, the intent of VMS, Inc., from the beginning was to openly share the results of the study with members of the entire winter maintenance community, including the AASHTO Subcommittee of Maintenance and the APWA Subcommittee on Winter Maintenance.
To conduct the survey and compile results, VMS, Inc. retained the services of Mr. Richard Stapp, P.E., retired Wyoming State Construction and Maintenance Engineer and Rodney A. Pletan, P.E., retired Minnesota State Maintenance Engineer. Working as a team, they conducted all of the research and wrote the report. Over sixty individuals from a wide variety of governmental agencies provided important data and information for this project. Over half of these shared printed documentation. Contributing organizations along with the names of persons contacted are listed in Appendix B.