Why has DC failed so badly on clearing the streets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It wasn't a typical snowstorm, and most snowstorms like this in DC are followed by temps in the 30's, not teens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go drive around Virginia. It's nothing like DC. The roads are SO much better.

That's not at all universal. Alexandria is in worse shape than DC.

Im sure mileage varies, but the roads are in dramatically better shape in Arlington, Fairfax, etc than DC, which shows that the ongoing mess in DC wasn't unavoidable.

[Anonymous]

https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/1qqo1so/dc_gov_is_a_travesty/

[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.

Why does it matter when someone moved here? Whether someone has been here for 40 years or 4 years, if they are a taxpayer, they deserve to have competent city services.

It matters because the people who have lived here for more than 10 seconds know there are going to be storms that overwhelm the city’s ability to respond. This was not a normal storm. The people who keep saying it was “just snow” are just not living in reality.

[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.

NYC got 15 inches of snow. Boston got 23 inches. DC got 6.

Also, it seems rich for longtime DC residents to accuse transplants of being whiners about the weather. Have you lived anywhere north of here? Where I grew up, they don't cancel school unless it's snowing so much that you can't see the road in front of you.

How much ice did those places get? And people in NYC are not at all happy right now and they got all snow.

And yes, I grew up in Syracuse, NY. This much ice would have been a problem there, too. They have removing snow down to a science up there. No one has a good plan when they get punched in the face by ice.

[Anonymous]

Interesting that people are pointing fingers at the black mayor but no one is pointing a finger at the imbecilic white Ward 1 council member who has oversight over DPW and has barely done anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go drive around Virginia. It's nothing like DC. The roads are SO much better.

That's not at all universal. Alexandria is in worse shape than DC.

Im sure mileage varies, but the roads are in dramatically better shape in Arlington, Fairfax, etc than DC, which shows that the ongoing mess in DC wasn't unavoidable.

Now do Montgomery and Prince George’s. And from my experience driving around in Virginia the past couple days, you could not be more wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/1qqo1so/dc_gov_is_a_travesty/

Ah yes, the Washingtondc subreddit, which makes DCUM look sane.

[Anonymous]

I don't think I've seen a single plow since Sunday. It's like the city is not even trying.

[Anonymous]

Turns out the city's plan for dealing with snow & ice is mostly just waiting for the sun to melt it.

[Anonymous]

What’s stupid is that we knew it would be snow covered by ice but Bowser didn’t think to keep the plows running early Sunday through the night. I also think my able bodied neighbors who live on a well trod path to the local school and who waited until Monday to shovel only to find out they could not are not very nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that people are pointing fingers at the black mayor but no one is pointing a finger at the imbecilic white Ward 1 council member who has oversight over DPW and has barely done anything.

This is not the gotcha take that you think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that people are pointing fingers at the black mayor but no one is pointing a finger at the imbecilic white Ward 1 council member who has oversight over DPW and has barely done anything.

This is not the gotcha take that you think it is.

My unpaid ANC rep has been walking the streets for days now to report on which are in good shape and which need plowing, and is in constant communication with DPW. A neighboring ANC rep has been out with a pickaxe and shovel helping neighbors dig out.

Brianne has issued *1* statement, three days after the storm ended, which said nothing that anyone with eyes already knew and otherwise consisted of excuse-making and passing the buck.

I know she’s a short-timer but she could at least lift a finger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that people are pointing fingers at the black mayor but no one is pointing a finger at the imbecilic white Ward 1 council member who has oversight over DPW and has barely done anything.

This is not the gotcha take that you think it is.

My unpaid ANC rep has been walking the streets for days now to report on which are in good shape and which need plowing, and is in constant communication with DPW. A neighboring ANC rep has been out with a pickaxe and shovel helping neighbors dig out.

Brianne has issued *1* statement, three days after the storm ended, which said nothing that anyone with eyes already knew and otherwise consisted of excuse-making and passing the buck.

I know she’s a short-timer but she could at least lift a finger.

She hasn't ever before, why start now?

[Anonymous]

35 year DC resident here. I’m super annoyed that certain blocks in the neighborhood have simply been untouched. By anything since the snow hit. Now they are treacherous concrete sheets of ice. Haphazard and random. Worst performance we’ve experienced and we’ve had several major storms over the decades.