Optimizing Vancouver’s Snow Plow Route System
Abstract
The snow plow routing problem (SPRP) is an optimization problem that specifes designated
routes for snow plows to follow. Like any major cities in the US and Canada, Vancouver has already
adopted a snow plow routing plan, however, after their response this winter season, we have come
to conclude that it is insuficient as many roads were left unplowed and unsalted for days after
snowfall.
The SRPR minimizes either the total cost or the total time required to clear a network of
streets. Given the heavy snowfall that has hit Vancouver this past winter, and the City of Vancouver’s
unpreparedness, our model focuses on the latter. We hope to improve service without
increasing the costs too much. We solve the SPRP for a network of major roads in Vancouver;
under the constraints of fleet size and specifications.
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