Every main road and a lot of parking lots have a built in sprinkler system that turns on when it snows. (Or some parking lots put out hoses with little holes in them that spray water). Because the temperature never gets much below zero, if at all, the water from the sprinkler system doesn't freeze so there isn't much worry about the roads being slippery from the water freezing.
This system works pretty well but it makes for some slushy, sloppy walking areas. Most of the people here wear rain boots, not winter boots, and I totally understand why.
Me on the other hand, I wear sandals (because I ice my Achilles after practice and shoes are hard to wear with an ice bag strapped on the back of my foot) and there are days when toes definitely know they are not in a nice protected boot, but rather taking a new polar plunge with every step I take.
We have seen only one snow plow in the city all winter long and it didn't even have it's plow down to clear the road.
