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Snow clearing may improve

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Also by Alex Brousseau:

Snow clearing may improve (December 7, 2007)
Sports restaurant opening Aug. 1 (December 5, 2007)
Fire highlights safety needs (November 30, 2007)
Picking up the pieces (November 16, 2007)
City: Watch out where you park (November 14, 2007)

by Alex Brousseau

Friday, December 7, 2007

Snow Action Days

Three alders from the downtown area proposed a program Thursday that would help clear snow more quickly and effectively after heavy storms.

The plan, called "Snow Action Days," was formulated in response to suggestions from constituents.

"I’ve gotten a decent amount of contacts from my district that were not only saying that it's been tough, but also offering ideas," Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway, District 12, said.

Rhodes-Conway, along with Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, and Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, have put together a plan at the request and aid of their constituents to help ease the burden of Madison residents during heavy snowfall. "Snow Action Days," they said, would coincide with the currently implemented Snow Emergencies.

"I think for us, this is probably one of the worst snow cleanup efforts we’ve seen in a long time, the downtown area in particular," Konkel said. "People are relying on us to have good, clean streets to get to work in the morning."

The snow removal service provided by the city, especially the downtown area where many students reside, is only at a base-level and needs to be upgraded so that snow is effectively and promptly removed, according to the alders.

"The Streets Department works really hard and has a monumental job, especially with the kind of snow we’ve been getting recently," Rhodes-Conway said. "However, this is people’s daily lives, getting to work on time and getting their kids to school. Most people rely on automobiles, and if you can’t get down your street or get your car out of the driveway, there’s a big problem. We might be able to do a better job at this."

According to Konkel, the biggest changes they would like to see include making the downtown city ramps available starting at 9 p.m. instead of 1 a.m. Another important factor is getting the bus routes clear of snow and making the Madison Metro free in order to reduce the number of cars on the streets.

"There also has to be a better way of getting out the word about snow emergency," Konkel said. "Some of the more traditional ways don’t work for a lot of people who live downtown. There are more options with the technology we have available."

Having more effective ways of communicating snow emergencies, such as using text messaging and neighborhood mass e-mail lists, is key for many students and residents who do not use traditional news sources such as AM radio and newspapers, according to Konkel.

Other suggestions for effective snow policies include acquiring smaller plows, adding more sand distribution points for residents and increasing the amount of fines for parking tickets during snow emergencies.

"We don't have something to introduce to the City Council at the next meeting, but we want to start the conversation with the mayor, Streets Department, and, most importantly, the citizens," Rhodes-Conway said. "I’m looking forward to having that conversation so we can come up with a conclusion."

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