Comments on: Downtown streets in the winter: good, bad, or ugly?

By: Griff Wigley

Griff Wigley — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:24:33 +0000

Hey, kudos to City Hall for being responsive. From Al Roder's Feb. 15 weekly memo:

Staff has have been out plowing and cleaning walks on those small snowfall events these past several weeks. Early Friday morning, Equipment Operators Steve Petricka, Steve Malecha, and Bryan Haugen removed snow from the curb lines downtown. Small snows are somewhat tougher to deal with than those over 2 inches. At less than 2 inches it is not economically or operationally prudent to include snow removal from the downtown as part of the snow cleanup operation; the costs for snow removal averages $3500 - $4000 per event, the snow amount having minimal impact on the cost. However, due to the amount of snow that has accumulated over time it was decided to have the snow removed so the remaining snow and ice could melt out of the street.

Just a note of recognition, Mechanic Ryan Kiefer is the individual who is responsible for keeping our snow removal equipment in working order and ready for the next event. A thankless job at times, but much appreciated.

By: Griff Wigley

Griff Wigley — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:07:52 +0000

After a 2-inch snowfall this week, the City did an overnight cleanup (on Thurs) of downtown streets and curbs, removing all the ice and gunk from previous minor snowfalls. It’s looking very spiffy, IMHO.

Has anyone noticed?

By: Hayes Scriven

Hayes Scriven — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:45:49 +0000

Yesterday, I got out of my car on Division Street and I was walking towards the sidewalk and I fell on my ass! It’s nice and slick out there again!

By: Griff Wigley

Griff Wigley — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:49:56 +0000

It seems to me that the City has a harder time dealing with the 1-3 inch snowfalls downtown than the heavy stuff. Here are 4 photos from Tues. morning showing the soon-to-be-frozen slop along the curb, left over from Monday's snowfall which ended early/mid afternoon.

By: John S. Thomas

John S. Thomas — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:40:17 +0000

The same situation exists in Sibley Swale park. There is a path from Fremont Street east up to Sibley school.

Students must walk int he dark, in the street, because there are no sidewalks, while a perfectly good path through the park goes unplowed. They do the path through the park from Prairie to the school, but not this one.

I would like to see it plowed. It doesn’t have to be day one, but it would be nice for our children’s safety.

By: Bright Spencer

Bright Spencer — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:27:18 +0000

We live near a park paved walk, and I am ashamed that we spend and plan for these lovely walk throughs, and several months out of the year, they are impassable. We have tons of dog walkers in our neighborhood who walk two or three times a day, and have to avoid an entire half mile just cuz the city
doesn’t deem it possible to make a straight thru pass on a little ridiing snow plow that would take maybe twenty minutes two or three times a month. Sad, but true.

By: Steve Wilmot

Steve Wilmot — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:14:15 +0000

Let’s also try to get the crosswalks cleaned out too! Consistently there are problems by the city lot next to the library (southwest corner of 3rd and Washington) and at 6th and Water at the River Park Mall. Sidewalks need to be cleared all the way to the street at every intersection, not just the ones where it is easy to maneuver snow removal equipment.

By: Hayes Scriven

Hayes Scriven — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:36:09 +0000

I was really happy with Bart’s letter.

Last week there was a huge pile of snow in the handicap parking spot in front of the Historical Society. The city cannot let that happen.