This Michigan City Has Heated Streets and Sidewalks

When you live in Michigan, snow just becomes a part of your life.

Read Related: How Cold Does it Get in Michigan? See the Lowest Temperature Recorded in the State

Come this time every year, we're usually hit with some decent snow. This means we need to get out there and shovel it or snowblow it and make sure our driveways and sidewalks are clear.

But what if we didn't? What if we didn't have to wear gloves and boots and deal with the snow and the cold? With temperatures and windchill making things as frigid as they've been, I'd love to not have to worry about it.

Get our free mobile app

For one city in Michigan, those dreams are a reality.

One Michigan City Has Heated Streets and Sidewalks

Located along the shores of Lake Michigan is the city of Holland, Michigan.

And Holland doesn't need to worry about shoveling or salting its streets and sidewalks because every year, the city spends tens of thousands of dollars to heat them, anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000.

Read Related: When Can You Legally Operate Your Snow Blower in Michigan?

Beneath the streets and sidewalks lays "the largest publicly-owned snowmelt system in the country." It's an intricate web of over 165 miles of tubing. The tubing is a closed system filled with water that gets heated to 95 degrees, warm enough to melt about one inch of snow every hour.

Yes, the citizens pay for this luxury with their taxes, but I would say it's totally worth it! You can walk down a sidewalk without having to do the patented penguin walk to keep from slipping and sliding. You can just walk and drive through the city with confidence.

You can read more about this system and its costs HERE.