I am such a city girl I don't know if I get this... so if the middle stripe is clear that's where they're traveling? I'd never drive down the middle of the road! Not even in my miata. That terrifies me to think of it. Is a village larger? We don't use the term in the south except to describe incredibly small enclaves located within the metropolitan area.

In our part of Berrien county, the "village" will be a hamlet with curbed streets and a street grid, even though the whole thing may be only a few blocks long and wide. There is a political distinction between the village and the surrounding "township," which may have the same name.

Our farm is in the township of Galien -- the village of Galien is two miles to the north.

In our part of the country, off the main thoroughfares, people tend to avoid the sides of the roads. There aren't any shoulders to them usually, and the edges can get chewed up by farm machinery. It's in the winter, with the snow, that you notice that the center stripe seems to have been driven on by cars going in each direction. That was especially true this trip.

My apologies to Buchannan -- it's a city under Michigan law, and has nearly 5,000 inhabitants.

I'm a city girl also. In Oslo, Norway,snow was no problem. In my time there were very few cars. The sidewalks and the streetcar lines were swept so people could get to work,the shops or school. Very matter of fact.
NY City, the snow removal was pretty much like Oslo, clear the snow to get people moving.
Washington DC, everything stopped. No snow plows in sight.
I've lived in several other cities where I understand the snow cituation, but
I have no experience with Country roads or village streets, but there could be a really good reason for the pattern you described.

It goes in the middle of the street, the piled up snow, because there is no where else to put it. One lane plowed in the country because not enough manpower to do the whole road. In Onio villages are legally incorporated communities under 5000 population. Over 5000 they are a city. The stae is divided into counties that are divided into townships. cities and villages are either part of the township or not, they can opt out. Some people feel townships are obsolete now. I find that townships work well in rural areas taking care of the people. Limited authority, responsible for township roads, cemetaries maybe parks. In our most rural areas there are 3 trustees, a clerk, and no employees,the trustees do all tha work, like plowing snow, for very little.

Thanks for the information tibs. Now I know more than I did before your post.
Come to think of it, I also noticed the difference in snow removal from state to state. Going from VA to PA was an experience. VA had some snow removal, DC, nothing, MD was excellent, PA was a nightmare at times, some parts were plowed other parts were not cleared at all.

I live in a WI village of more than 10,000. Our snow is neatly piled onto the boulevard (aka devil strip, tree lawn, easement). The piles are between 3-5 feet tall. Our snow in the village seems to be removed sooner and more efficiently than it is in Madison proper... but I might just be biased because I live on a school bus route, and the services in this particular village are ridiculously good.

Buchannan is in the "Lake Effect" snow area, and when the Lake Effect Warnings are in effect, most roads are, in effect, one-lane roads, aiming hopefully for the middle....
:~) Out here in the county where i live, hitting a mailbox is the least of your worries, many roads are flanked by deep drainage ditches.

I'm far enough East that we often escape the worst lake-effect snows, but some years we really get nailed...here it's mostly lake effect permaclouds...

BTW, my community calls itself a town but is maybe 5000 counting all the 'developments' that use its services...our Main Street is a State highway, so it stays pretty clear, but all the little streets are piled anywhere...

I spent some time in Philadelphia a while back, I couldn't imagine what the hell they would do in a heavy snow situation, all those crazy cow-path alleyways where people live.