Why has DC failed so badly on clearing the streets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I grew up north of here, and I've never been anywhere else where lanes just disappear....they either completely clear a lane or they leave it closed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did the city just give up? I drive around quite a bit and I don't see anyone working on anything. I can't remember the last time I saw a snowplow. This incompetence is unreal. It feels like neighborhoods should just take up collections and hire their own private plows.

snowplows are useless at this point. They are removing ice from the main roads. I did see them around today.

Ward 4 needs a million plows. People (including me) are still getting stuck in the snow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

+1

This is my issue. They aren’t even trying to clear anything anymore. My road was never plowed. Many roads were never plowed. And DC just keeps putting out messaging about the expertise of all of thr people driving plows and Chancellor Ferebee showing off clear sidewalks for school. Meanwhile none of these things seem to actually be happening. Like just keep plowing the roads.

I thought the city would have people working 24 hours -- like, three shifts, around the clock, every day. But no one really seems to be doing anything. Are we just waiting for it to melt?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

+1

This is my issue. They aren’t even trying to clear anything anymore. My road was never plowed. Many roads were never plowed. And DC just keeps putting out messaging about the expertise of all of thr people driving plows and Chancellor Ferebee showing off clear sidewalks for school. Meanwhile none of these things seem to actually be happening. Like just keep plowing the roads.

I thought the city would have people working 24 hours -- like, three shifts, around the clock, every day. But no one really seems to be doing anything. Are we just waiting for it to melt?

They ARE working around the clock. There just isn’t enough of them.

[Anonymous]

I hope that everyone who wants DC to be able to handle this like it's no big deal are willing to pay higher taxes to afford that. It really was/is a difficult snow/ice combo and the low temperatures aren't helping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope that everyone who wants DC to be able to handle this like it's no big deal are willing to pay higher taxes to afford that. It really was/is a difficult snow/ice combo and the low temperatures aren't helping.

Please. The DC government has more money than it knows what it do with.

[Anonymous]

I'm from New England but have been here for 25yrs. Live in close-in MoCo, work in DC. I think there's a lot of blame to go around. We shoveled 5 times on Sunday but that last inch or two of sleet remains mostly intact on our driveway and sidewalk. Our street has been clear since day 1 because it's a busy artery near NIH, but the walls of accumulated snow and ice at each intersection make it impossible to walk safely to the school and supermarket a few blocks from here.

Clearly plowing here is not as smart as it is up north. Snow plows operate all the time there, they know how to do it well. Not so much here which is why even the cleared roads are very constricted. Conn Ave north of CC circle was down to one lane on Monday, but better now so clearly they are working to improve main roads.

Still at intersections the piles of snow and ice constrict things and also create impediments to clear lines of sight. Very unsafe for people who rely on the bus system - not just school kids obviously but a huge number of commuters and people trying to get groceries or visit a doctor.

Finally if we're going to cast blame, I'll also point to all the stupid drivers out there who refuse to adjust to more dangerous conditions by slowing down FFS. All of our visibility is much reduced - why do people insist on driving on neighborhood roads covered in ice and snow like it's the California freeway? I've seen a bunch of accidents that probably could have been avoided if drivers adjusted their speed to the road conditions.

[Anonymous]

So on Wednesday this is what City Administrator Kevin Donahue told The 51st:

“Given the magnitude and given the composition of the storm, this is where I would expect to be,” he told [the reporter]. “We've made enough progress with the plowing and the snow removal that we're just able to tackle more and more each day because we have fewer roads for plows to focus on with each passing day.”

That’s some seriously circular logic. Yeah, that’s how clearing snow works! So basically he’s saying they did everything as best as they could (which is objectively not true) and that they’re going to keep clearing snow as is the logical way to clear snow. What???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So on Wednesday this is what City Administrator Kevin Donahue told The 51st:

“Given the magnitude and given the composition of the storm, this is where I would expect to be,” he told [the reporter]. “We've made enough progress with the plowing and the snow removal that we're just able to tackle more and more each day because we have fewer roads for plows to focus on with each passing day.”

That’s some seriously circular logic. Yeah, that’s how clearing snow works! So basically he’s saying they did everything as best as they could (which is objectively not true) and that they’re going to keep clearing snow as is the logical way to clear snow. What???

Only the best and brightest work in government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope that everyone who wants DC to be able to handle this like it's no big deal are willing to pay higher taxes to afford that. It really was/is a difficult snow/ice combo and the low temperatures aren't helping.

It's funny that DC has money for special machines that clean bike lanes (which cost $250,000 each) but doesn't have plows to plow neighborhood streets. I'd say the problem here isn't money, it's priorities.

https://www.reddit.com/r/bikedc/comments/1juj9fl/new_bike_lane_sweepers/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope that everyone who wants DC to be able to handle this like it's no big deal are willing to pay higher taxes to afford that. It really was/is a difficult snow/ice combo and the low temperatures aren't helping.

It's funny that DC has money for special machines that clean bike lanes (which cost $250,000 each) but doesn't have plows to plow neighborhood streets. I'd say the problem here isn't money, it's priorities.

https://www.reddit.com/r/bikedc/comments/1juj9fl/new_bike_lane_sweepers/

Where do you get that this costs $250,000? You know what does cost that much though? A dump truck with a plow.

And no, if DC didn't buy that sweeper, even if they did pay $250,000, you wouldn't have a place to park after this storm.

You'd be better off clearing out your collection of 30 year old Nat Geo mags and park in your garage instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope that everyone who wants DC to be able to handle this like it's no big deal are willing to pay higher taxes to afford that. It really was/is a difficult snow/ice combo and the low temperatures aren't helping.

It's funny that DC has money for special machines that clean bike lanes (which cost $250,000 each) but doesn't have plows to plow neighborhood streets. I'd say the problem here isn't money, it's priorities.

https://www.reddit.com/r/bikedc/comments/1juj9fl/new_bike_lane_sweepers/

Poor drivers. Won't someone finally think of the drivers for once?

[Anonymous]

At this point, the storm was a week ago. While I have dug out my car, I have yet to drive anywhere because I'm afraid of losing my street parking spot. It's been a week! Where are the plows and bobcats?! Why hasn't the city contracted with road crews who can use jackhammers or other tools to address the sheets of ice? Where are the bulldozers and dump trucks that could be removing the ice and dumping it into the Potomac (which I distinctly remember as a kid)? We knew the forecast showed we wouldn't get above freezing for the week after the storm. I think the mayors office just decided to throw her hands up and pray for melting. The news today about giving away salt is too little, too late. I'm not losing my parking spot to pick up a bucket of salt. Why not dump off a couple bags of salt at every street corner? The lack of care and imagination and planning is really disappointing.

[Anonymous]

People park on the street in DC, other places people have driveways. This makes plows much easier.

[Anonymous]

My wife and I spent an hour shoveling the intersection by our house this afternoon, a four-way stop where cars have been getting stuck all week. It was plowed once, on Sunday, before the sleet stopped falling, and has been a vile-looking dirty mess since.

It's probably more passable now, but unfortunately, the two of us with shovels weren't able to clear as much or as quickly as a snow plow might have been. Unfortunately, the city appears to have decided not to bother clearing any neighborhood streets anymore. Fun!