While I’m all for saving the city money with snow removal, I think by not plowing secondary routes, it will end up biting the city and it’s citizens in the ass;
The city of Sioux Falls has quit pre-treating streets with chemicals before winter weather hits, and will clear secondary streets only when warranted as part of an effort to save money.
I noticed driving home from work last night that it seemed there was more snow on the roads then usual (for only having a couple of inches on the ground). While driving conditions were ‘OK’ they should have been much better considering how little snow we did get.
But..but..but with the economic impact of a shiny new McArena the city coffers will soon be overflowing with money for proper wintertime road maintenance. And DT bar owners will use the trickle down effect to assure that wages in SF are no longer stagnant and low paying.
Here’s the deal, even though I envoked the EC, let’s make this thread about providing taxpayer services, lets not talk about the EC. Not one peep.
Give me your take on what taxes should provide (sans-entertainment).
We can start by using tax dollars to properly maintain it’s liftstations. That way when it rains we aren’t pumpin shit to our neighbors to the south. How’s that?
All the suburban development outside the river / interstate loop has a much higher “major street lanes to person” ratio than the gridded parts of town. That’s one reason why the snow removal budget gets more and more strained each year. Same amount of road to plow, fewer people to pay the bills.
Let’s hope My Man Mike doesn’t forget what does get the voters excited in Sioux Falls- STREETS! Basic services. Munson kept moving money from streets to pet projects and look how we are trying to play catch up.
I agree with ‘Jerry’. STREETS need special attention Munson ignored. It seems each mayor sneaks money into pet projects and infrastructure upgrades get sidelined. After flooding this year, storm sewer drainage deserves special attention.
Sorry L3wis, but my peep is this: What are we talking about being short? A million $$? Well, that’s less than the estimated ADDITIONAL primary economic impact of a new Events Center.
Here’s where the Mayor is fuct in the head, from the AL piece:
“That’s $1.5 million lower than what was originally budgeted in 2010”
And that was a number that was too low..we went way over on snow removal last year due to higher than expected snow fall. Here’s another nugget of poo from the City:
“Huber said residents probably won’t notice the changes.”
Okay so streets like 37th and Grange won’t be plowed. If you live on the street you deal with the ruts and sliding around, unless you trade your Accord in for a Hummer. If you use these streets you probably find an alternate route on plowed streets, so now there’s more traffic funnelled onto the arterials. And they think people won’t notice?
The Mayor is betting his politcal future on a mild winter….let it snow, let it snow let it snow!!!
Oh, and weren’t many of those arterials patched with asphalt to get them fixed quickly and cheaply?
I see a chance for the anti snow gate city employees to use the new snow policy as a tactic to say that the snow gates don’t work. The snow gates will not be used on the secondary streets where they are needed because now they are not going to cleaned…
Sy- I had the same thought when it comes to not plowing streets we fixed, all that compacted snow and ice over the winter will not play out well for the streets.
Honestly this isn’t a big issue. When there is an inch or two of snow on the street they won’t plow it – which by the way not only reduces cost of plowing and equipment hours, but results in much less maintenance on the streets (plows tear up streets and are very hard on them).
When we get a significant snowfall, they will slill plow those streets so there shouldn’t be any concern about not being able to drive a small vehicle rather than a 4WD.
By the way, last night the plows were in my neighborhood and although they didn’t plow all the side streets, they did make a pass through with a gravel / sand / salt truck. The only difference is they can do that with one pass versus two to four if they were moving snow, and the roads don’t take the damage.
I see this as a good thing. I always found it silly that they would plow side streets when the weather forecast indicated they would be melted in two days anyway. If someone can’t drive with an inch or two of snow on the road, they better just stay home.
However this does bring up an interesting point… why is it that we are legally obligated to scoop our sidewalks but the city can get away with skimping on roads (even in areas that don’t have sidewalks). Seems to be what is good for the goose is good for the gander, so we shouldn’t be required to scoop sidewalks until there is a measureable amount of snow…. say 5 inches or more.
I agree about the sidewalks.
Costner: Excellent point on sidewalks! That is awesome. I am going to use that, with your permission.
Feel free….use it how I have no idea, but have fun with it!
I see Jen Holsen lifted your idea in her latest post.
I see Jen Holsen lifted your idea in her latest post.
Lifted? I don’t know that I’d go that far. This is a point of contention made at most any morning gathering place where people meet over a cup of coffee and discuss the latest city bumblings.
I read Jennifers Musings. But I read it with a grain of salt knowing that when it comes to how the city wastes our tax dollars…well Jennifer herself needs to clear the skeletons out of her own closet first.
I’ll continue to shovel my walks whenever it snows. Major route for kids walking to school (Do kids in SF still walk to school – or not? They do here.) and after one morning of a few dozen kids packing the snow down – it becomes almost impossible to remove all. Ever tried wheeling a wheel chair, or walking on crutches on an unsoveled sidewalk. Different paths, different users, different requirements to walks as to streets. PEOPLE are NOT wheeled mechanical devices. You anti-shovelers on the other hand are putting way too much energy into spinning the weehls in your head to find any excuse for laziness and discourtesy.
Lewis, you could start a whole series of posts on “The Ugly Sidewalks” with this bunch. Include yourself if you must.
rufusx – that was sort of my point about the city NOT plowing roads even when there are no sidewalks. In some areas of town people still need to use the streets if they want to walk somewhere, and if the city isn’t plowing them how is that any different than a property owner failing to shovel their sidewalk?
The only difference I can see is the property owner will get fined and/or be forced to pay for a private contractor to come shovel their sidewalks whereas there aren’t any ramifications to the city – even if someone in a wheelchair gets stuck in the middle of the road.
Personally I don’t think it should be property owner’s duty to provide safe passage for other citizens. If people want to walk on the sidewalk versus the street then so be it, but it should be a matter of their accepting any risk that exists. I always shovel my sidewalks mind you, but I don’t like the idea that if there is a six inch patch of ice that I can be sued into oblivion if someone slips and breaks their hip.
It is just a question of common courtesy to keep ones sidewalks cleared regardless of how the city feels about it with regards to streets.
I wouldn’t care about the sidewalk issue so much if the city would actually follow through on the sidewalks they own…such as 41st St just west of Cliff.
I think Costner was trying to make a point, I scoop my walk also, he was saying how can the city fine the shit out of you for not shoveling THEIR sidewalks but don’t plow their own streets. Can we fine them when our cars get fucked up because they don’t plow the streets?