Washtenaw County crews still working to clear roadways after two days of snow
Washtenaw County road crews are still working to clear local subdivision streets and rural areas following two days of winter weather that left more than 9 inches of snow on area roadways.
Jim Harmon, director of operations for the Washtenaw County Road Commission, said all of the state highways and main county paved roadways under the road commission’s care have been cleared. He said crews are now working on clearing subdivisions, rural roads and gravel roads around the county.
Harmon said crews have been working incredible hours since the snowfall began Sunday afternoon — some working 28 straight hours — to make the county’s roadways passable.
Road crews are still working to clear the snow that fell Sunday.
File: Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
“There’s a human limit to what drivers can handle,” he said. “The reason they’ve worked so long was the freezing rain and ice. When we have an icing event like this, we have to stick to it and see it through.”
Delays in removing the snowfall have been caused by numerous factors, Harmon said. Among them were the moisture content of the snow, the additional snow Monday afternoon, trash bins and cars left in the street in subdivisions and the sheer amount of mileage crews need to cover.
Many schools in the county canceled classes today because of road conditions.
- Click here to see what you can do to help speed up the road clearing process.
The delays have irked some area residents.
Bob Tower shook his head as he stared at the ruts lining Hull Avenue in Ypsilanti Township.
“The roads in the neighborhoods are horrible,” he said this morning after returning from a trip to the grocery store. “I was stuck at pretty much every intersection. There’s so much snow piled up at the intersections that when you stop, you can’t get going again.”
Harmon said road commission crews have been working to clear about 3,500 miles of roadway since Sunday afternoon when the storm started. Most of the work done from the beginning of the storm until Monday afternoon focused on state highways and main roadways such as Carpenter Road and Jackson Road, he said. Crews began clearing secondary roads Monday afternoon before another snowfall Monday evening required crews to return to the main roads.
In Ann Arbor, all major roads are passable, and about 60 percent of residential roads have been plowed, according to Kirk Pennington, Ann Arbor's street maintenance field operations supervisor.
Pennington said part of the reason crews have been delayed in clearing much of the snow was the heavy moisture during the recent storm.
“It was a wet snow, whereas people had become accustomed to a dry, powdery snow that pushes easy,” he said. “There has been a higher moisture content that slowed us down and slowed down cars that were in the roads in front of our drivers.”
Pennington said city crews pushed out about 100 cars from snow banks on Monday and Tuesday.
The number of storms and amount of snowfall has made it an expensive winter for road crews as well.
Pennington said the city’s budget for snow removal is close to being completely spent.
“If we do expend what we’ve budgeted, we can go into our fund balance reserves or discontinue other operations, like pavement repairs in the spring,” he said.
The situation for the county road commission isn’t as dire, but Harmon said the costs for the winter have added up. He said many of this winter’s storms hit at night or on weekends, requiring overtime from road commission crews. In addition, diesel fuel costs have risen sharply.
Harmon said the county Board of Road Commissioners will analyze expenses when it does the first quarter budget review to see what impact this winter will have on the rest of the year’s budget. However, road commission crews will be able to see out the rest of the winter.
“The point is that clearing roadways is the top priority for the road commission and we will do the job, period,” he said.
Reporter David Jesse contributed to this report
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.
Comments
John B.
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 6:39 p.m.
If you think Washtenaw County does a poor job clearing snow, you should see Livingston County!
AA
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 2:08 p.m.
Very very poor clean up effort. Why even bother.
Sallyxyz
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 1:53 p.m.
Washtenaw County and A2 city snow removal has been inadequate for years, and this past year has been especially poor. For reasons I do not understand, snow removal is not done in a timely manner, nor is pre-treatment done to roads (using brine mixtures that are more environmentally friendly and that work at lower temperatures). Each time there is a storm, I read excuses for the poor removal (wet heavy snow, or low temps and salt not working, ice storm, or fast snowfall, etc). Guess what? That's winter weather! It's unpredictable! Other cities in SE Michigan seem to get the job done more promptly, and other cities in the US with much greater snowfall (Minneapolis, Syracuse, Kansas City, -- all places I have lived) don't make excuses. They just clear the roads and get the job done. They have plows that are out all night, and they use pre-treatment (brine) when they know a storm is coming. The amount of snowfall in this area is not tremendous, and the storms we have had this year have been relatively moderate, so what's the problem? If the city and county lack crews, equipment and salt/sand, then they need to admit it. My opinion is that they do not use enough salt (for PC reasons), they do not have enough crews and equipment, and they do not use brine and pre-treat, causing many unnecessary accidents and injuries, some fatal. Yes, drivers do not slow down, and is a contributing factor to accidents, but 24 hours after a moderate snowfall of 5-8", main arteries in town such as Fuller Rd, Washtenaw, Eisenhower and Huron are still covered with 5-8" of snow. This is inexcusable. I have many friends who drive in daily from other counties and they cannot understand why Washtenaw County does such a poor job compared with surrounding counties. The contrast is dramatic, and is always the case regardless of how much snow falls. Right at the county line on many arteries, the roads go from being clear to being icy and snow covered. Tax payers deserve better.
John B.
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 6:36 p.m.
We are not having a 'moderate' Winter. It is already the eighth-snowiest on record, headed for perhaps the top five ever before we are done. If we had this kind of Winter consistently (like MPLS does, or Buffalo and Syracuse, NY, etc., etc.) then we would be able to plan for it and we would have to raise taxes and spend the funds necessary to have the equipment in place to handle that level of consistent snowfall. Snow plows cost big money, last time I checked, so to buy millions of Dollars' worth (more) of them, and then need them perhaps every fourth year for 10 days, just doesn't make sense financially. Unless everyone wants their Taxes increased to pay for those trucks that will sit around 1450 of every 1460 days....
loves_fall
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 1:30 p.m.
Now that I've driven down other streets, I'm even more dissatisfied with the job they did on ours. The rest of the street is pretty much pristine -- mostly pavement after yesterday's sun. Our half of the street is a disaster. The street narrows and dead-ends at the end (so plow trucks can't actually turn around at the end), so they just left it looking horrible, plowed one path through it then backed up and left. Blame the two cars parked along the street all you want, city of Ann Arbor, but it's funny that the side of the street with cars got plowed, and the side of the street without cars is untouched and still has just as much snow on it as it did after the snow fell. I don't think that that's a "terrific job" by any stretch.
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 6:56 a.m.
You know, between my spouse and me, we have one snow-worthy vehicle. Isn't that a goal of a greener Ann Arbor - fewer big vehicles on the road? Here are the repercussions in our winters though. Fortunately, I can work from home so my spouse can take my vehicle, and will do that as well tomorrow , after Monday and Tuesday, just in case. The bigger issue as I see it, for reducing our carbon footprint, is to allow those who do not need to literally be doing something with hands or product in a work environment, to actually be at the facility, ever. Aside from a few meetings each week, my spouse does everything by email, and even those meetings could be teleconferences. My sister is a high-level AT&T employee and she has been a work-from-home employee for about 10 years now, with fewer than 5 on-site meetings per year, in another state. The beauty of the arrangement is she can simultaneously be a caregiver to our aging mother who is frail but capable. Think of her care breaks as coffee breaks -usually they are. Think differently Ann Arbor businesses, if you want to be a green leader. It can work. I see it working.
jns131
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 3:48 p.m.
Could use snow mobiles. Those are green friendly. Don't need to plow anything. Otherwise, give me a good clean road any day of the week.
a-guest
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 4:48 a.m.
The whole metro area is still icy and snow covered so how can all the surrounding communities or counties still doing a better job than AA?
Joshua
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 3:32 a.m.
Hats off to the guys clearing the roads, think you're doing a fine job considering the circumstances. Thanks!
Elaine F. Owsley
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 1:35 a.m.
The road crews are probably the most under-appreciated workers in any municipality or county. How many of you who criticize them would do what they do? All hours, all kinds of weather, trying to keep alive in traffic, faced with undoing what nature has thrown at us - everyone with a gripe, sign up and let's see if you can do it better.
5c0++ H4d13y
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 3:01 a.m.
This isn't about the crews that drive the trucks but the administrators that don't get the crews ready to go and on the roads on time.
Ann English
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 12:56 a.m.
Great work today, actually clearing 9" of HARD snow from my road, snow I could walk on top of.
jns131
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 12:24 a.m.
Should see Wayne county. Try getting a bus thru that mess. It is just now starting to clear but some areas are still bad. Cannot go thru side roads and children dropped off on main roads. O well. Another storm on the way on Friday. Can't wait.
treetowncartel
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 10:27 p.m.
Neighborhoods are plowed in relation to the curb side services that are coming up, e.g., garbage day. That makes complete sens. So, next time it snows big, hope it is on the day before your garbage gets picked. Otherwise, wait your turn. Also, if you are a two car family and it is within your means, get your self an SUV. Not only will you be able to get around on the days of the Snowtrinas, but, you can explore a lot of this great state via two tracks, that you just can't do in the old front/rear wheel drive coupe/sedan.
treetowncartel
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 3:34 p.m.
Point taken. Ground clearance means a lot, some of those cross overs are too low to get through the snow. I also think some of those vehicles may not do so well in the two tracks on state and federal lands. Skid plates on the vital parts of the under body are essential. I don't see running a mini van through a 150 foot long mud puddle, in which you can't see a hidden rock waiting to puncture your oil pan, is something I would want to try. Only in a Jeep! Plus they are imported from Detroit.
KJMClark
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 2:49 a.m.
It doesn't even take an SUV. Anything with AWD or 4WD and snow tires will do. There are lots of minivans with AWD, Audis, Subarus, and some domestics. Heck, there's even Ferarris and Porsches with AWD (or similar) now. For that matter, front wheel drive and snow tires works pretty well. All-season radials are OK up to four inches or so, but after a good snowstorm they might not make it.
melissa
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 9:51 p.m.
I don't live in Ann Arbor, but you should be ecstatic with even slightly cleared roads. I'm on a dirt road in Van Buren Township (between Ypsilanti and Canton) and they have not yet plowed my street. AT ALL. I am trapped at home with a 6 month old and have been since Sunday night. I don't know how the budgets are allocated but Ypsilanti roads are always much much worse than Canton roads. Ann Arbor is intermittent - some areas are great, and some are just awful. And no, I'm not going to shovel my street as the previous person suggested... ridiculous. I'll just wait for the plows to come... maybe Thursday? They'll come, won't they?
Cash
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 10:09 p.m.
I drove through Ypsilanti and the streets were down to asphalt. Which Ypsilanti street are you referring to?
Adam
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 9:51 p.m.
I've lived in various regions of Pennsylvania and my wife spent the first half of her life in upstate New York. All of these regions receive annual snow fall accumulations similar to Ann Arbor (some more, some less). We have talked about this many times and can honestly say that overall the snow removal in Washtenaw County is worse than any other place we've ever lived. This is not a knock on the hard work done by the plow crews. I, for one, appreciate your long hours. Perhaps it's time, however, to review the timing/methods of snow removal. With some major roads still virtually impassable 36 hours later, the current protocols seem extremely inefficient.
Adam
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 2:01 p.m.
Cash, I think you missed my point. I'm not asking for more funds to be allocated for snow removal. I'm asking that the current practices be evaluated in order to make better use of the limited resources that are available. The areas I was referring to were the Philadelphia metro area (which has been slammed this year), Lancaster county and State College in Pennsylvania. Owasco lake and Oneonta regions of New York. As for specific roads - Huron River Dr/Clark Rd in front of St. Joe's was a mess yesterday morning. In addition parts of Fuller between 23 and the VA/University Hospital were also pretty poor. This morning, however, the roads are MUCH improved.
mjc
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 2:07 a.m.
As well, after experiences in several regions of the northeast, I am consistently disappointed with the roads after snow in southeast Michigan. I've lived in towns very similar to Ann Arbor, and also those that are much more rural, and in both cases I would wake up to hear plows coming through at 3am. By the morning commute, roads would be clear. I live in between a fire department and hospital on a major road in downtown Ann Arbor, and still the main roads are horrible by 8am. Today, I had to drive between Washtenaw and Wayne counties, and I had one tire on the road, one on ice, and I was bottoming out on slush. Ever hear of salt, Michigan? I can defend that the many areas of the northeast have comparable gas prices, no toll roads, or whatever other excuses I hear for bad roads in Michigan. Bottom line is that MI needs to get their act together and fix the problem.
Cash
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 12:51 a.m.
Blessed verification!
say it plain
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 12:40 a.m.
give up Adam lol, Cash won't accept that things aren't just as good as we have any right to expect 'round here ;-) Complaining counts as equivalent to flippin' people off while you talk on your cell and demand stuff because you just deserve it ;) I don't have a problem with the county road commission roads, I really have little contact with the roads I believe they tend to cover until waaay after a snow storm passes typically. My complaint --oh my! I must be evil or totally mistaken!--is with the city, and how they fail to take care of residential areas and even main city streets. I've lived in MA and NY and things were much better there, and it seems to me they'd been better years ago in Ann Arbor as well. So I'm just wanting to know why, and hoping to see some commitment to addressing these issues. I don't think an income tax is relevant to the discussion, though I wouldn't put it beyond city officials to use snow removal problems to argue for one. I agree, btw, Adam, that current protocols could be improved upon. I appreciate all the hours of work that gets done. I would love to see resources provided in support of these hard working people.
Cash
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 10:12 p.m.
Which major streets are impassable now?
Cash
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 10:08 p.m.
Were those metropolitan areas? Were they funded by gas tax revenue or other methods of funding? How many trucks covered how many thousand miles of road?
Cash
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 9:41 p.m.
Diana, Exactly right. I agree. We have become a nation demanding instant gratification. When we drive we lean over the wheel, gritting our teeth, talking on the phone, drinking our coffee, reaching around to the kids in the back seat, and flipping drivers off at the same time. We can't wait for anything! There are some things that are NOT under our control! Ice and snow doesn't fit in our plans? Well lets stomp our feet and hold our breath....and step on the gas! The storm in the 70s.... we were home bound for 5 days. 10" of snow and thick layer of ice under it..... try to push that with a plow. 40 men and 40 snowplow trucks aren't going to clear thousands of miles of roads ON DEMAND to satisfy everyone. Common sense.
Diana Hunt
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 9:12 p.m.
I live in the country, not in Ann Arbor; but the Road Commission has done a fine job this winter. If the gentleman who wanted to cut wages had ever driven a plow truck, he would not say what he did. It is hard, dangerous, exhausting work under difficult conditions; and most of the guys doing it have been pulled from Forestry or other services after putting in their 40+ hours for the week. Yes, this snow was different from earlier ones. Wet snow is heavier and harder to move; it requires greater speed and more time for the plows to be able to handle it. The storm also came on the Sunday of a holiday weekend, when many people had left town -- which means, when workers may have been fewer and cars had been left on the streets. City services are neither magic, nor mechanical, nor free. PEOPLE do these jobs, and after watching my husband and his colleagues bust their tails for an ungrateful public for 35 years, I can say that City workers are a dedicated bunch who are not out to soak the tax-payers. Over time, the City infrastructure has grown but the staff has shrunk, so everyone has worked harder, and their wages have not grown with inflation. If you aren't satisfied with how quickly your street gets cleared, then I suggest you get out your shovel and start contributing -- and mobilize your neighbors to help, too. And thank your City workers, who do their best to take care of you!
Forever27
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 9:36 p.m.
Ms. Hunt, as one of the many people who have been busy complaining about the handling of the snow from the last storm, let me say that we do appreciate the effort put in by the drivers out there at all hours of the night. We love seeing the plow come down our road, we just wish it would happen more often and sooner. Most people's beef isn't with the people working the streets, it's with the people who tell them where (and especially, where not) to go.
michaywe
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 9:31 p.m.
Well said, especially the mention about cooperation and contributing!
bissiechef
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:40 p.m.
This storm they did NOT do a good job clearing the roads; however, every previous storm, they did a good job. Did some of the crew have President's Day off or what?? The roads were still bad late Monday afternoon; the snow amounting to nine inches ceased 24 hours before. Maybe they didn't wanna pay double time for the holiday??
Cash
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 10:14 p.m.
We had almost twice as much snow this time, it was water-laden (heavy) and had 1/2 inch of ice under it. The previous storm had half the snow, it was dry and fluffy and had no ice packed under it.
John B.
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:53 p.m.
Monday was not a Holiday for the Washtenaw County Road Commision people. I don't think it was for the City, either, but I'm not 100% sure of that. The 9.6-inch accumulation ended at about 7 a.m. Monday.
Garrett
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:38 p.m.
Maybe now we can get to the business of busting their union so we can pay them more in line with the 'private' sector. What do you say? $8/hr. - no benefits. That sounds about right.... Where's Snyder when you need him?
Cash
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 10:15 p.m.
No doubt he is having his State Police escort home.
michaywe
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:37 p.m.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION We are aware the snow removal from this weekend's storm was inadequate. We are working on resolving the issue and we ask that everyone take extra care when entering and exiting the building and the parking areas. (An email blast from manager's of a local, federal facility to users of the facility. Resolve the issue? Relocate to Florida!)
CONCERNED CITIZEN
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:30 p.m.
I live in Washtenaw County and work in Ann Arbor, why is it that the moment that you hit Ann Arbor city limits the roads are 100% worse than anywhere in the surrounding area? Platt Road between Michigan Ave and Ellsworth was the worst, and always is...even though it is a high traffic area.
oldblueypsi
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 10:32 p.m.
Blame Pittsfield Township or the WCRC for that section of road. Or better yet, remember that faster snow removal translates to more man and equipment power which translates to higher costs which translates to higher taxes. Is cost control worth a little inconvenience?
KJMClark
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:42 p.m.
AA's crews did our main roads and our neighborhood pretty quickly. It may be that what seems like an important road to people coming in from out-of-town isn't as important to those of us in the city. So we ask the crews to get to the neighborhoods and leave the outlying roads for followup later (after a first pass). That would mean the city crews are doing a good job from the resident's perspective, though the roads may look bad for an non-resident commuter. Another reason to consider an income tax? As things stand, we're paying the taxes, so we get the services.
Thick Candy Shell
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:38 p.m.
Funny, the City Limit in Ann Arbor on Platt begins on the north side of Ellsworth. I guess all of the agencies miss a road occasionally. Lets be real. With all of the cuts how can anyone keep up
A2Westsider
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:29 p.m.
Is there a hotline or email address we can use to report problem spots or insufficiently cleared roadways? My street is half done, the rest of us (without SUVs) are stranded.
John of Saline
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:17 p.m.
Being willing to work 28 straight hours is commendable, but a bit scary when you think of a sleep-deprived individual at the controls of a multi-ton vehicle with a plow on it.
ThaKillaBee
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 9:07 p.m.
My thoughts exactly. Can they stagger their schedules?
Robbo
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 8:16 p.m.
We got slammed. They've done a terrific job.