Plow crews turn attention to neighborhood streets

After spending the last several days working to clear primary routes, plow drivers in Colorado Springs and El Paso County are turning their attention to residential areas.

At a media briefing Wednesday, city officials said more than 40 plows and trucks will work from 3 a.m. until 9 p.m. through the weekend to clear snow from neighborhood streets.

The city routinely does not plow side streets until they have more than six inches of snow. The recent storm dumped a foot or more across town.

“Usually, this isn’t an issue because we rarely get so much snow at once,” said Corey Farkas, manager of the Streets Division. “But we’re aware of citizen concerns and we’re doing the best we can with limited resources. Many cities don’t plow residential streets at all.”

Plowing began late Wednesday afternoon in the Deerfield Hills neighborhood on the city’s southeast side.

Some residents complain that the city waited too late because much of the snow is packed into the pavement and difficult to plow.

“I think it’s horrendous,” said David Subka, a local contractor. “I’ve lived in big cities and mayors have lost elections because they haven’t cleaned the streets. I have to wait on subcontractors who can’t get around because of the snow.”

Kathleen Weintraub, however, supports the city.

“It seems ridiculous to invest money in more plows,” she said. “We wouldn’t use them much. We’re not like upstate New York or Boston. I think the city is doing a fine job.”

The city’s Public Works & Maintenance Division has divided the city into 62 grids that outline plowing sequences throughout the city. Multiple grids will be plowed simultaneously. Once drivers complete one grid, they will move on to the next until the job is finished.

El Paso County says it has 33 plow trucks and 23 graders working to clear the snow from neighborhood streets.

County plow drivers have been working 12 hour rotating shifts since the storm began. The shift from primary routes to neighborhood streets began Tuesday night.

Drivers are warned to keep a safe distance from the plows, remove vehicles from a street to be plowed and prepare for plowed to snow to be pushed onto sidewalks and driveways.

For more information, visit: https://coloradosprings.gov/resident-services/public-works/streets-division/snow-ice-response.