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Democracy on the Front Lines
City Administrator’s Blog
Walter Denton
February 1, 2008
Last night’s snow storm was the largest accumulation since I moved to O’Fallon five years ago. It appears we received 8-10 inches of snow. Public Works crews have been working the streets since about 3 p.m. yesterday and they are still at it.
As of rush hour this morning, arterial streets in O’Fallon were passable and most subdivision collector streets had been plowed. Many minor local streets and cul-de-sacs had not been plowed.
We have received some calls from residents who are concerned that their streets have not been plowed. Snow plowing can be a slow and deliberate process, but we will eventually make at least one pass down every street in O’Fallon.
The latest City Quarterly newsletter goes into detail explaining the City’s snow removal policies. In general, streets with higher volumes of traffic are given top priority. When snow or freezing rain falls, our first priority is to clear arterial street intersections, streets leading to schools and emergency services (such as Police, Fire, and placeEMS), and known hazardous areas. Next, Public Works crews will address collector street intersections within commercial and residential areas and other identified
trouble spots. Residential streets with relatively low volume of traffic (such as cul-de-sacs and “horseshoe” streets) are not plowed until the above areas are cleared adequately.
We are fortunate to have experienced mild winters over the past few years. Last night’s snow storm reminds us we live in an area that is vulnerable to harsh winter weather. Snow can be an inconvenience, but we are committed to providing safe driving conditions as quickly as possible.
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