snow removal

Residents Ask: How Do You Clear THIS?

By ARLnow.com

Update on 2/18 – Several public works crews were out on Military Road today. A police officer was posted at Military Road and 26th Road this afternoon to help Taylor Elementary students cross the street.

Huge boulders of ice, snow and road filth cover the sidewalks along Military Road in the Donaldson Run section of Arlington, near Taylor Elementary School, forcing pedestrians to walk dangerously close to fast-moving traffic on the busy commuter route.

Over the weekend, the county asked residents to help kids get back to school by clearing the sidewalks in front of their homes. But some residents, fearing retribution for not following through on the request, are asking: how do mere mortals move six-foot-high mountains of icy snow?

“It would take a battalion” to clear the sidewalk, one Military Road resident said.

“I don’t think there’s a way anybody can realistically take care of this,” said another resident. In 23 years of living in Arlington “we never got this much snow piled on the sidewalk.”

Residents we talked to were particularly frustrated by the fact that the sidewalk snow mountains were the result of the county’s own snow removal efforts. After clearing the main roadway, residents said, plows cleared the adjacent bike lane, pushing the snow, ice and dirt onto the narrow sidewalk.

The county has warned that plows, by their very nature, will push snows from the road onto sidewalks and driveways. Residents say they understand and appreciate the snow removal challenges, but add that they should not be responsible for removing such massive amounts of plowed precipitation.

The county, for its part, has been actively treating some walkways. Officials admit, however, that they don’t have the resources to get to every trouble spot as quickly as they would like.

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Arlington Releases Extraordinary Snow Removal Stats

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County officials, taking a breath after back-to-back snow storms, released a wealth of information today about the county’s massive snow removal operation.

We learned that the county received emergency support from the state in advance of Wednesday’s blizzard. Eight front end loader and 16 operators arrived from Richmond Monday night.

We also learned who was driving all those dump trucks and other heavy equipment, seen on main corridors during the height of the storms. Starting on Friday, on the eve of Snowmageddon, the county contracted with the following companies to provide snow removal services: DHC Corporation, Bell Brothers, Inc., Rock Hard Contracting, Inc., Sagres Construction, Inc., Martin & Gass, Inc., and DRC Emergency Services, LLC.

And we now know that the county had to replenish its salt supply twice in the past week. On Monday, the contractors sent 15 trucks to pick up salt from the Port of Baltimore. The trucks made another salt resupply trip Wednesday night. Arlington has used more than 10,000 tons of salt so far this winter.

More extraordinary numbers, after the jump.

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County Plows Heading Back into Neighborhoods

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s snow removal crews are heading back into the neighborhoods to finish what they started (and what they did not start) on Monday. From the county’s web site:

Arlington’s snow crews worked overnight following yesterday’s blizzard conditions to clear primary and secondary roadways. Today, trucks are beginning to move into neighborhood streets. The snow operations team will work to prioritize streets that were not plowed or treated following the February 5th storm, but please note crews must pass through and clear some previously plowed streets in order to reach these unplowed streets.

The snow may have stopped falling, but road conditions are still icy and treacherous. We strongly urge drivers to stay off the roads today to ensure that plows and emergency vehicles can get through safely.

Arlington Snow Crews Kept on Trucking During Blizzard

By ARLnow.com

Although Alexandria, the District and Montgomery County, Md. stopped plowing during the height of today’s blizzard, Arlington crews kept trucking. County snow removal crews were slowed down due to high winds and low visibility, but they did not stop their effort to keep main roadways passable, according to Department of Environmental Services spokesperson Myllisa Kennedy.

Due to the fact that it will take several days to clear neighborhood roads, the county has decided to suspend trash collection service for the rest of the week. Trash collection will resume Monday.

Here We Go Again: Snoverkill Eve In Photos

By ARLnow.com

We know the drill by now. As the latest snow storm to blanket the Washington area arrived tonight, the plows were already out. The roadways were less busy. Pedestrians were wearing boots and heavy coats. And the grocery stores that hadn’t closed early were already picked clean of many items.

That’s right, we’re getting pretty good at this. More photos, after the jump.

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Neighborhood Plowing Put on Hold as Storm Arrives

By ARLnow.com

As the first wet flakes of the area’s latest snow storm begin falling, Arlington County is warning that “efforts to clear neighborhood roads will be set back, possibly by days.”

“Snoverkill,” as the storm is now being called, will dump another 7-14 inches of sleet and snow on the region, according to the National Weather Service. But the real danger may be the wind.

The Capital Weather Gang is warning of gusts up to 50 miles per hour tomorrow. Such strong winds could easily knock down scores of snow-laden trees and power lines throughout the region.

Weary Arlington County snow removal teams are halting their effort to treat neighborhood streets and will now focus on keeping main roadways clear, according to an email from the county to local civic associations.

If you’re planning on driving tonight or tomorrow, remember your snow plow etiquette.

“These People Are Tough, Real Tough”

By ARLnow.com

The county has released a new video introducing us to the people behind the plows. Here’s what we learned:

  • Department of Environmental Services director Bob Griffith has now worked for 17 straight days
  • Snow removal crews are becoming fatigued after several straight days of working 12-hour shifts
  • Throwing snow balls at snow plows is not cool
  • There are insufferable jerks who refuse to get out of the way of snow plows
  • Don’t call the county’s snow removal hotline to request special service because you’re throwing a party
  • Email your snow complaints, requests and comments to [email protected]

Watch the video for yourself, after the jump.

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Snow Plows Deploying In Advance Of Storm

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County snow crews are scheduled to deploy at 4:00 this morning to try to get a jump on the storm. They’ve been given the futile-sounding task of pre-treating roads in advance of up to 26 inches of snow. They’ll have at least five hours to prepare for Snowmageddon — the first flakes are predicted to begin falling as early as 9:00 AM.

Here’s an etiquette guide for drivers who find themselves behind a snow plow.