Discuss Detroit » Archives - January 2008 » Plowing the side streets « Previous Next »
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Softailrider
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Username: Softailrider

Post Number: 96
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 9:50 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thought that every street was supposed to be plowed when six inches or more of snow falls . I've been all over the city this week , saw very little plowed and no active plowing going on at all . So what's the deal ?
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Gsgeorge
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Username: Gsgeorge

Post Number: 482
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 10:20 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroit's a really big city with very limited resources. Haven't you been reading the news--something like 2,700 miles of streets in the D? I'm sure they're working on it but the neighborhoods will be dead last on the list before downtown and Midtown.
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Gazhekwe
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Username: Gazhekwe

Post Number: 1180
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 10:22 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's interesting, that. I lived in Detroit in the 60s and 70s, and we had several record snowfalls in that time period. The side streets were never plowed. We neighbors would get out and shovel in front of our houses, but if we didn't, ruts would form and those would freeze, and last pretty nearly all winter.
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Gumby
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Username: Gumby

Post Number: 1674
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 10:26 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Not just a Detroit thing I live on Court St. in Flint (a main street, used to be M-21) and it took 2 days to plow it. It took me 15 minutes to get to work on Monday and I live 1.5 miles from my office, absolutely ridiculous
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Gsgeorge
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Username: Gsgeorge

Post Number: 483
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 10:32 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Just for the record most of downtown Ann Arbor is plowed but side streets on the South and West sides have remained unplowed.
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Detroitrise
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Username: Detroitrise

Post Number: 1166
Registered: 09-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 10:35 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"Detroit's a really big city with very limited resources. Haven't you been reading the news--something like 2,700 miles of streets in the D? I'm sure they're working on it but the neighborhoods will be dead last on the list before downtown and Midtown."

Yeah, but at least they're getting better. The Secondary streets are now getting plowed and salted.
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Club_boss
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Username: Club_boss

Post Number: 246
Registered: 12-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 10:50 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When I lived in Detroit they plowed the streets, granted one swipe, but none-the-less, it was better than nothing.
One swipe meaning the plow came down the side street and plowed one lane in the middle of the street.
When two cars approached at the same time one driver was faced with driving into what I called no-mans-land of unplowed street.

Seems to me there was a major storm during the Archer administration and their reply was Detroit never plowed the streets or that the streets were never plowed during the CAY administration.

I believe that’s when this concept of plowing the side streets when 6 inches or more fall.

Isn’t this about the time President Clinton came to Detroit and arrived in what was my first glimpse of a Presidential SUV.

I lived in Ann Arbor (South Side) for 15 years; if there was a major storm (and there weren’t that many) it could take the city 3 days, to maybe as many as 4 days, to dig out all the side streets within the city limits.
Big difference is that Ann Arbor will make an initial plowing and then come back (granted it may take a few days) and widen the streets to the sidewalks, which of course completely buries the driveways in.

I remember one year there was a bad storm and when the plows opened up the side streets there was a wall of snow and ice that was as tall as I was that blocked every driveway in.

The city came around days later and used a backhoe to dig out each homeowner.
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Oliverdouglas
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Username: Oliverdouglas

Post Number: 162
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 11:12 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My side street in Green Acres was cleared Monday afternoon - the entire neighborhood by Monday evening. Last week, cops on the beat. All Fall, trees being planted. Does some bigshot live in my neighborhood?
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Izzadore
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Username: Izzadore

Post Number: 78
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 11:16 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does The city contract out this work? They may be more successful if they privatized this job to local businesses that may help (if there are any!) Elections have been lost because of these oversights.

Just a thought.
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Chitaku
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Username: Chitaku

Post Number: 1740
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 11:16 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

my side street was plowed even though we only have 6 houses on the street
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Luckycar
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Username: Luckycar

Post Number: 60
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 11:53 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Say what you want about the burbs,but my street was plowed,salted and open by Monday morning.This is in Bloomfield TWP.Those higher tax paying folks across 14 mile get nothing for the honor of living in Franklin Village.When I was a kid living in Oak Park,the city used to come by with a jeep.On the front end was a rotating brush.They would drive down the sidewalks and life was good.As for Ann Arbor and their famed snow removal troubles,screw 'em.I worked for the city of A2 for 27 years.They're the biggest bunch of cry baby slackers when it comes to them lifting a finger to help out.Lot's of students,"managers" and other non workers who think the world revolves around them.Sorry for the vent.....
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Gravitymachine
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Username: Gravitymachine

Post Number: 1904
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 12:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

my side street in mexicantown was plowed sunday evening.
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The_ed
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Username: The_ed

Post Number: 1729
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 12:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"My side street in Green Acres was cleared Monday afternoon - the entire neighborhood by Monday evening.
Last week, cops on the beat. All Fall, trees being planted. Does some bigshot live in my neighborhood?"


Just you and me Oliverdouglas, just you and me.
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Trainman
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Username: Trainman

Post Number: 595
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 12:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's important that Livonia get the streets plowed because we no longer have SMART bus service anymore. I used to be able to leave my driveway unplowed and walk through the snow to a SMART bus and it was nice.

Please support my campaign to restore and protect
state revenue sharing for SMART and DDOT, if you DY'ers want to help in the efforts to get Livonia back in 2010.
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Ray1936
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Username: Ray1936

Post Number: 2439
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 12:54 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

In my 24 years here in Las Vegas, the city has NEVER plowed my street.
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 5952
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 12:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well Luckycar, apparently you've never spent 45 minutes going down frozen slush covered State St. from I-94 to Hoover (about 2 miles) on a Monday morning. Looks like the AA city workers don't like to go out on a Sunday to clear Saturday's snow accumulation for Monday commuters.

That doesn't have anything at all to do with the "silver spoon" students that you're grousing about.
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Detroitinmyheart
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Username: Detroitinmyheart

Post Number: 147
Registered: 12-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 1:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ican recall back to the late 60s the side streets were never plowed even back then so we did the bumper ride thing in the winters.
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Focusonthed
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Username: Focusonthed

Post Number: 1546
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 1:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here in Chicago, it will often take 3 or so days after a major snow to get the side streets plowed. They don't even bother with a few inches. Doesn't bother me, I don't drive, but even when I do, I understand that there are thousands and thousands of lane-miles of main streets that need to be plowed first.
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Jimaz
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Username: Jimaz

Post Number: 4098
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 1:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

FWIW, from today's Detroit News: Detroit : Plows missed some streets
quote:

City officials said Wednesday that snow removal contractors were still clearing some 100 to 200 unplowed streets. Detroit officials had said all streets were plowed by late Monday, but inspectors later found untouched streets. Contracts penalize crews that don't plow on time, and the city will receive a discount, said city spokesman James Canning.

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Buyamerican
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Username: Buyamerican

Post Number: 243
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 2:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroit side streets were never plowed when I lived there. The 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's came and went and a snowplow never showed up on any streets I ever lived on. All the neighbors would shovel the street in front of their own home and help each other out if need be. We all got to our jobs, too. Of course, if the neighbors got together and paid for a private service then it got done. The Detroiters today are lucky that it's even a consideration.

WHAT YOU DRIVE DRIVES AMERICA!
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Deandub11
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Username: Deandub11

Post Number: 188
Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 2:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yea "all streets were plowed by late Monday" is a joke. I drove through multiple neighborhoods on the westside and many were not plowed.
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Elsuperbob
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Username: Elsuperbob

Post Number: 105
Registered: 03-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 3:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Gistok, you're right on with that. However I apparently am one of those "silver spoon" students for expecting the streets in my near downtown neighborhood to be cleared by Monday night when I returned to Ann Arbor. Especially since my street in Dearborn and pretty much most of the city was cleared out by Sunday afternoon.

A few years ago I had to go home after a snowfall and it took two and a half hours. Two of those hours were in Washtenaw County and an hour and a half of that was just in Ann Arbor. All that despite there being more snow and ice toward Detroit.

I've never been happy with Ann Arbor city services but then I guess I'm just spoiled for expecting here, in a fairly well off city, what I get in Dearborn.
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Elviswithteeth
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Username: Elviswithteeth

Post Number: 54
Registered: 03-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 4:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yeah Ray...
I'm having that same problem of not getting plowed here in Henderson as well.
El
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Steamaker
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Username: Steamaker

Post Number: 43
Registered: 03-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 4:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Me too Ray
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Softailrider
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Username: Softailrider

Post Number: 97
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 5:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ray 1936-
During one Winter in the 70's , not sure of the exact year , I was walking down the strip and there was snow flurries in the air .
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Ray1936
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Username: Ray1936

Post Number: 2440
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 5:22 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Probably '76, rider. We passed an ordinance right after that prohibiting flurries. :-)
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Funaho
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Username: Funaho

Post Number: 5
Registered: 11-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 5:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My side street (Scotten, north of Vernor) was still snowy as of this morning, though a lot of it had melted so it really doesn't matter much anymore.

I'm kind of glad it never got plowed because they have a tendency to just blow through without notice and plow everybody in so bad that even AWD/4WD can't get you out (most of my neighborhood parks on the street; no driveways.)
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 5964
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 6:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Elsuperbob... that's OK, my sister who (like myself) paid for here own college, is raising 2 "silver spoon" college kids right now. :-)

Ann Arbor may get an "A" in public transportation, but they deservedly get an "F" in snow removal. I used to work there from 1998-2002, and it's appalling that things have not changed since then.
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Luckycar
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Username: Luckycar

Post Number: 62
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 6:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes they have a plan.LED lights everywhere and this heat will melt the snow.The current mayor is on top of this.The past Ann Arbor mayors/city admin.were also on top of it,the snow that is.Besides,in July it won't be a problem.

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