既報のように大雪から一転して、春の陽気になってきてグシャグシャ道路化している札幌市内。
　きのうは住宅街のわが家周辺を抜けて、直近の「琴似」のメイン道路を見たら除排雪作業が徹底して行われていた。市内各所で「まだら模様」の除排雪状況。いわゆる生活道路・住宅地域は後回しのよう。
　写真はわが家の向かい側の中学校のグランドに面した通学路の様子。８ｍ道路ですが、除雪はクルマ１台分の広さで、中学生のみなさんはクルマが来たら、脇に避けての通学風景。道路の半分は堆雪雪山で、例年であれば、少なくとも２回程度は排雪が行われていましたが、ことしはまだ。今年の札幌の道路除排雪は全てが後手後手になってしまっている感が・・・。
　路面はそれなりに「平滑」になっていますが、これは周辺住民挙げての協力の結果。
　一部には舗装路面が見えたりもしているので、このまま、春の雪融けまで至るのかも。よかったね、それほど予算を掛けなくて市民の自助だけで勝手に春になりそうです。って、オイ。
　〜現在の札幌の生活道路の除排雪は、
・道路脇の雪山を小さくして排雪回数を減らすため除雪回数を減らす。厳冬期30cm程度の圧雪路盤。
・学校周辺道路は除雪回数を多くして圧雪路盤は造らない。（実態は写真の通り）
・生活道路で圧雪路面を剥がすタイミングを逸すると、春先に車はスタックする。（自動車の最低地上高は15cm位）・・・こういう流れ。〜
　・・・という話題を書いていたら、読者の方から情報が寄せられた。そのなかには旭川市の市長の「政治家の方針提示の明確さ」に従って整合的な除雪体制構築されているという事例が挙げられていた。
　旭川では政治家たる市長が「生活道路は年間2回排雪します」という公約で当選したので、納得できる整然とした除排雪状況がある。政治的な考えは様々ですが、札幌の場合もこういう政治主導がないと、このままズルズルで改善の可能性を見いだせないまま。たかがザクザク、されどザクザク道。
　北海道日本ハムファイターズに愛想を尽かされた現体制ですが、やはり「指導力」に疑問。

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English version⬇

【Snow Removal in a City of 2 Million with Over 5m of Annual Snowfall】
Even when dealing with unpredictable snow, there should be consistency in how it’s handled. Around my home near the middle school commute route, is resident self-help the main approach? …

　As previously reported, Sapporo has shifted from heavy snow to spring-like weather, leaving roads slushy and messy throughout the city.
Yesterday, passing through my residential neighborhood, I noticed thorough snow removal on the main road in nearby Kotoni. Snow clearance remains patchy across the city. Residential streets and neighborhoods seem to be getting the short end of the stick.
　The photo shows the school route facing the junior high school grounds across from my house. It’s an 8-meter-wide road, but snow removal only cleared enough space for one car. The junior high students have to step aside when a car comes by to get to school. Half the road is piled with snow mountains. Normally, snow removal would have been done at least twice by now, but not this year. It feels like all of Sapporo’s road snow removal this year is lagging behind…
　The road surface is reasonably “smooth,” but this is thanks to the combined efforts of the surrounding residents.
In some spots, the paved surface is even visible, so it might just stay like this until the spring thaw. Well, that’s good news—it seems spring will arrive on its own, without much budget spent, just through the citizens’ self-help. Hey, wait a minute.
~Current snow removal practices on residential roads in Sapporo:
・Reduce the number of snow removal passes to cut down on snow disposal runs.
・Increasing snow removal frequency around schools to prevent compacted snow layers from forming. (Reality is as shown in the photo)
・If the timing to break up compacted snow layers on residential roads is missed, cars get stuck in early spring. (Minimum ground clearance for cars is about 15cm)… That’s the flow. ~
　…While writing about this topic, I received information from readers. Among the examples cited was Asahikawa City, where a consistent snow removal system is built following the mayor’s “clear policy direction as a politician.”
In Asahikawa, the mayor, as a politician, was elected on the promise of “removing snow from residential roads twice a year,” resulting in a comprehensible and orderly snow removal situation. Political views vary, but without this kind of political leadership in Sapporo, things will just drag on with no sign of improvement. It’s just slushy roads, but still… slushy roads.
The current administration, which has lost the favor of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, really makes you question their “leadership.”

●Notice
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Available on Amazon.

Posted on 2月 26th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類