Why has DC failed so badly on clearing the streets?

[Anonymous]

For a city that gets barely any snow, the city has a *massive* number of snowplows. I bet the city of Cleveland doesn't own 300 snowplows. Equipment does not seem to be the issue. And typically DC over-responds to snow forecasts, dumping three inches of snow melt on the road because flurries are expected. But here we are on Thursday, four days removed from the last snow, and the plowing job seems terrible.

"The snow team will engage in a full deployment, consisting of more than 300 heavy and light plows. Heavy plows (six- and 10-wheel dump trucks) treat highways, streets, bridges, ramps, and other elevated structures, and light plows (pick-up trucks) treat smaller streets."

https://dmped.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-%C2%A0deploy-district-snow-team%C2%A0ahead-%C2%A0major%C2%A0winter-storm-and-extreme-cold

[Anonymous]

I’ve lived here since 1993 and have never seen a storm like this (snow then sleet that quickly compacted into ice, followed by a record-breaking cold snap). I shoveled multiple times on Sunday and the ground was already concrete by early evening. The vast majority of the plows in DC can easily handle snow but not a slab of ice. I’m not sure what all the people whining about this wanted the city to do?

And the whiners — almost all of them very recent transplants — also conveniently neglect to point out that things are just as bad in Virginia, Maryland, Philly, NYC (the crowing by Mamdani fanboys has been overtaken by complaints, and how many homeless there have died because of his new policies) and Boston. They act as if DC alone is struggling.

[Anonymous]

No equipment can manage the sheets of ice, that's why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived here since 1993 and have never seen a storm like this (snow then sleet that quickly compacted into ice, followed by a record-breaking cold snap). I shoveled multiple times on Sunday and the ground was already concrete by early evening. The vast majority of the plows in DC can easily handle snow but not a slab of ice. I’m not sure what all the people whining about this wanted the city to do?

And the whiners — almost all of them very recent transplants — also conveniently neglect to point out that things are just as bad in Virginia, Maryland, Philly, NYC (the crowing by Mamdani fanboys has been overtaken by complaints, and how many homeless there have died because of his new policies) and Boston. They act as if DC alone is struggling.

If the city’s leadership cannot respond to a weather event in an appropriate amount of time (ie, within a day), it has failed its main responsibility to its citizens. And as “once a century” weather events become more and more regular, the excuse that these are unprecedented just doesn’t cut it - it just means that the leadership has a failure of imagination and planning. It’s really sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No equipment can manage the sheets of ice, that's why.

To be fair, I think that construction equipment meant to life concrete could handle it. They can't move all the ice and snow in the city, but focusing on clearing at least the piles that have been put where the sidewalks meet the street could be a priority. Also, not all sidewalks near DPR fields and rec centers have been plowed. They city needs to get strategic and creative. ASAP.

[Anonymous]

"Lift" not "life" concrete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived here since 1993 and have never seen a storm like this (snow then sleet that quickly compacted into ice, followed by a record-breaking cold snap). I shoveled multiple times on Sunday and the ground was already concrete by early evening. The vast majority of the plows in DC can easily handle snow but not a slab of ice. I’m not sure what all the people whining about this wanted the city to do?

And the whiners — almost all of them very recent transplants — also conveniently neglect to point out that things are just as bad in Virginia, Maryland, Philly, NYC (the crowing by Mamdani fanboys has been overtaken by complaints, and how many homeless there have died because of his new policies) and Boston. They act as if DC alone is struggling.

If the city’s leadership cannot respond to a weather event in an appropriate amount of time (ie, within a day), it has failed its main responsibility to its citizens. And as “once a century” weather events become more and more regular, the excuse that these are unprecedented just doesn’t cut it - it just means that the leadership has a failure of imagination and planning. It’s really sad.

Sorry the cost of this would be ASTRONOMICAL.

[Anonymous]

There's a lot of snow (not ice) on the streets that could be plowed. Where I live, cars are getting stuck and slipping because of all the snow that's still in the streets. The ice is more of a problem with parked cars and alleys.

[Anonymous]

Our taxes are so high and the government services are so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived here since 1993 and have never seen a storm like this (snow then sleet that quickly compacted into ice, followed by a record-breaking cold snap). I shoveled multiple times on Sunday and the ground was already concrete by early evening. The vast majority of the plows in DC can easily handle snow but not a slab of ice. I’m not sure what all the people whining about this wanted the city to do?

And the whiners — almost all of them very recent transplants — also conveniently neglect to point out that things are just as bad in Virginia, Maryland, Philly, NYC (the crowing by Mamdani fanboys has been overtaken by complaints, and how many homeless there have died because of his new policies) and Boston. They act as if DC alone is struggling.

If the city’s leadership cannot respond to a weather event in an appropriate amount of time (ie, within a day), it has failed its main responsibility to its citizens. And as “once a century” weather events become more and more regular, the excuse that these are unprecedented just doesn’t cut it - it just means that the leadership has a failure of imagination and planning. It’s really sad.

This type of event has not become more regular. They've happened, on average, every 7 years for the past 100 years. If anything they've become less common.

They've also never been this unique combination of circumstances. I'm sorry that reality doesn't match your rhetoric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived here since 1993 and have never seen a storm like this (snow then sleet that quickly compacted into ice, followed by a record-breaking cold snap). I shoveled multiple times on Sunday and the ground was already concrete by early evening. The vast majority of the plows in DC can easily handle snow but not a slab of ice. I’m not sure what all the people whining about this wanted the city to do?

And the whiners — almost all of them very recent transplants — also conveniently neglect to point out that things are just as bad in Virginia, Maryland, Philly, NYC (the crowing by Mamdani fanboys has been overtaken by complaints, and how many homeless there have died because of his new policies) and Boston. They act as if DC alone is struggling.

Please tell us how many people have died in NYC because of Mamadani's "new" policies. Provide exact numbers and sources.

All my friends in NYC have had their kids back in school since Tuesday and no one there is complaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived here since 1993 and have never seen a storm like this (snow then sleet that quickly compacted into ice, followed by a record-breaking cold snap). I shoveled multiple times on Sunday and the ground was already concrete by early evening. The vast majority of the plows in DC can easily handle snow but not a slab of ice. I’m not sure what all the people whining about this wanted the city to do?

And the whiners — almost all of them very recent transplants — also conveniently neglect to point out that things are just as bad in Virginia, Maryland, Philly, NYC (the crowing by Mamdani fanboys has been overtaken by complaints, and how many homeless there have died because of his new policies) and Boston. They act as if DC alone is struggling.

As much as I want to blame inefficiency of DC government, I agree with this point of view.

[Anonymous]

It appears that, though the city owns 300+ plows, a key -- perhaps major -- component of their snow clearing plans is to wait for the sun to melt everything. And if that doesn't happen, they somehow got nothing.

[Anonymous]

This is your typical snowstorm, OP.

We got an extremely event when precipitation happened in unusually cold conditions, which turned the snow to ice.

In the DC area, this practically never happens! I have lived here for more than 20 years, and this was my first. The blizzards we had in 2010 and 2016 dumped a lot more snow, but it was easier to shovel.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, meant to say it was NOT your typical snowstorm.