West Seattle snow and ice: SDOT says it’s on side streets NOW

(Taken @ noon, Sullivan east of California [map], just south of plowed/sanded Thistle)
With all the concern and complaints about our iced-over side streets in West Seattle not getting de-icing/plowing, we asked SDOT communications boss Rick Sheridan for an official response. Just got this:

While still keeping an eye on arterials, we are now focusing solely on plowing and sanding residential streets citywide. Out of 15 trucks working across Seattle, there are seven trucks out on West Seattle residential streets at this time.

Our policy is to maintain a network of pre-selected key routes that provide access to most city areas and are pathways for regional transit. Our sanders/snowplows must take care of this network of arterial streets first. Once we are comfortable with the condition of those main streets, we turn to residential streets on a request-basis.

SDOT started including more side streets in West Seattle in our routes late yesterday as we worked primary and secondary arterials. The main roads in West Seattle required a lot of attention because of the repeated refreezings.

If there are roads that residents want to highlight for plowing and sanding, please call our Charles Street dispatch (24 hours a day) at 386-1218. We will prioritize those requests and attempt to work as many as possible.

So if your street needs love, call now – because more snow’s on the way. Reminder that the city’s snow and ice info online starts here – that page links to the plowed/deiced routes’ map plus this FAQ (which explains the priorities etc.).

20 Replies to "West Seattle snow and ice: SDOT says it's on side streets NOW"

  • JenV December 16, 2008 (12:00 pm)

    requested that they plow/sand Findlay. they were super nice. :D thanks WSB!

  • kathy December 16, 2008 (12:07 pm)

    I liked their response. Good customer service behaviors!

  • Matt December 16, 2008 (12:13 pm)

    They were Super nice!! And thanks WSB.

  • Ken December 16, 2008 (12:24 pm)

    I am still doomed. Ask me why.
    This is a description of my unique street.
    http://www.thehighpoint.com/expo/S_Natural.html

    It’s “natural”. It saves Salmon. It is an extraordinarily expansive experiment in porous paving and part of a larger storm water retention and filtration project.

    But it has a flaw or two.

    Ice will not melt on it without a rain above freezing or several days of direct sunlight and above freezing temps.

    Salt has little effect. The salt crystals melt holes the size and shape of the crystal and then drain away at the bottom of the hole.

    Sand clogs of the porous pavement. SDOT abandoned attempts to clean the pavement at the ends of the street where last years sanding of hills for traction took place. They are certainly not going to sand the street unless a mistake is made.

    Seattle Housing authority and the homeowners association at Highpoint deny all responsibility for streets (understandable) and sidewalks (criminal negligence in my opinion.) I hope some of the many lawyers in the neighborhood are documenting that negligence.

    So as other side streets melt or are treated with deicing materials, my little street will await a “natural” solution.

    Higher temperatures.

  • GenHillOne December 16, 2008 (12:37 pm)

    We requested help on Dakota yesterday as the tv cameras started to visit (also gave Nickels’ and Rasmussen’s office a call, not specific to the street, but WS in general). Not so much because we expected they would, but because when you call to give feedback, they want to know what street you’re concerned about. That was about 3:00 yesterday, so I guess we’ll see what “prioritize” means. Funny at Rasmussen’s office…person answering the phone said, “yeah, four of us live in WS, we know; do you read the WSB?” – LOL, reply: yes, it’s the absolute best, but they can’t drive us to the grocery store ;)

  • holly December 16, 2008 (12:39 pm)

    i called re: raymond west of california. they were very nice and said they have received requests for the same area. thanks neighbors!

  • HighlandParkster December 16, 2008 (12:41 pm)

    The folks at the SDOT Charles Street dispatch (24 hours a day) were soooo nice! Kudos to them. Finally a city phone number that doesn’t go to voice mail or get answered with a bad attitude. (Don’t try calling City Light!!) I requested another plow run along Trenton SW between Delridge and 8th Ave since it’s still really slick and lots of school buses use the street. The nice lady at SDOT gave me helpful advice of driving in the snow. :-) We already lost two trees to careless drivers along this stretch of Trenton! The tree at the traffic circle at 19th & Trenton is RIPPED right out of the ground with branches laying everywhere. I’d hate to see the car, but the poor tree is a goner.

  • WSB December 16, 2008 (12:47 pm)

    GHO, I wish we COULD drive everybody to the grocery store :) Neither of our cars is particularly weather-rugged but we did buy chains yesterday so that we won’t get stuck; we are lucky that our parking places, while technically on a side street, are very close to the plowed arterial, so all we have to do is roll a short ways and cross our fingers to get onto the launch pad. Tomorrow night I’m going to the School Board meeting, snow or no, so I may need those chains then, although if snow starts to fall in the city before midafternoon we’ll also be checking on whether they decide to postpone or cancel it … TR

  • Helen December 16, 2008 (12:51 pm)

    The fellow I talked to was very nice as well. For anyone on 18th SW, I requested that they sand between Dawson to the north and Dumar to the south. It’s better than it was, but the WORST spot is between Juneau and Graham, which is right in front of my house (figures). :)

  • d December 16, 2008 (1:03 pm)

    I’m wondering if anyone has been over to McLendon’s today to see if sand, deicer, shipments are in yet? Someone wrote yesterday they said stuff would arrive between 11-1.

    Or are maybe other stores?

  • Sue December 16, 2008 (1:27 pm)

    Bless you for that phone number for dispatch. They were indeed very friendly. I asked them to take a look at Dawson to the east and west of Fauntleroy – it’s a surprisingly busy non-arterial, plus getting the crosswalks sanded there would definitely help access to the bus. Doesn’t hurt that it would help my alley access too. :)

  • JenV December 16, 2008 (1:32 pm)

    everybody grab your blowtorches and head to Ken’s place! :D

  • WSB December 16, 2008 (1:36 pm)

    d – I’m going to head out in that direction because I have to leave the house for a while before afternoon commute coverage requires more glued-to-desk-edness. Will report back. I am going to try 35th to Roxbury.

  • DB December 16, 2008 (1:45 pm)

    I called in Raymond between 39th and Fauntleroy… not sure why people are even TRYING to go up the hills…..

  • kathy December 16, 2008 (2:03 pm)

    Try Tru Value in the Junction for de-icer. I bought a bag there on Sunday – maybe they’re out now, but looked like there was a lot at the time.

  • G December 16, 2008 (3:13 pm)

    I just requested Thistle between 16th and Delridge. Agreed about the niceness factor! And of course thanks to WSB!

  • plr December 16, 2008 (3:21 pm)

    Just requested Dakota between CA and 35th. Nice guy, just hope they follow through on at least some of our requests. Thanks for the phone #!

  • JenV December 16, 2008 (3:29 pm)

    ok, has anyone actually seen a snow plow/sanding truck on their side street yet?

  • HighlandParkster December 16, 2008 (4:40 pm)

    Hey, WSB. We could REALLY use a rock salt/ice melt Googley Map Thingy or something. I can’t get out of my street until it’s too late to get to McClendon’s to get rock salt. They were out long before I got there today. It’s so ironic! It’d be GREAT to know which stores were in-stock before I slide out of my street. It’d have to be updated hourly, apparently! The past few days have exposed a SERIOUS problem with Seattle’s “supply chain.” Stores are out of salt and sand and ice melt an hour after it arrives. Order MORE, people! :-)

  • WSB December 16, 2008 (4:43 pm)

    That’s what the crowdsourcing in comments is good for – that’s the best we can do so far. We’ve used maps for things in the past and frankly very very few people use them, not enough to make it worth the time taken to create them – right now in the web world, text is still king. I have an idea about some extra resources though in terms of rustling up that info for tomorrow and beyond and will work on that. Thanks!!!!

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