A look at Seattle's new snow plan

Last winter was, well, snowy to put it nicely. It was rough, cold, wet, white, frozen and miserable on the roads.

Mayor Greg Nickels gave the city a “B” for snow response but the citizens immediately corrected him. Many felt the city was slow to respond and didn’t deserve a high grade. According to a Seattle Times survey taken last winter, of the 2,657 people to respond 49% gave the city an “F.”

The city has now released its new snow plan. “Based on nationwide best practices, our new plan will ensure Seattle is ready for any kind of winter storm,” said SDOT Director Grace Crunican. “With an aggressive, high-tech oriented approach and new leadership, SDOT will keep people and goods moving in Seattle during challenging winter weather.” The city says, “We commit to achieving bare and wet pavement on specified streets within eight hours after a lull in the storm.”

According to the release sent out by SDOT, plan highlights include:

A new approach to snow that includes an expanded use of salt brine and salt, and limited use of sand;

Significant improvements to facilities and fleet to include GPS technology and weather awareness;

An improved organizational structure and significant training for winter storms;

A commitment to better communicate with the people of Seattle and agency partners;

Performance measures to objectively evaluate accomplishments.

Here’s the snow map (large .pdf) that SDOT will use to determine their response.

The city has also hired a new Street Maintenance Director who comes from Arapahoe County, Colorado and has experience with winter storms.