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(16 posts)

RANT - SDOT

Started 3 years ago by MrJT
Latest reply from JoB

MrJT
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Just want to throw a huge congratulations out to Grace Crunican (SDOT Director/West Seattle resident) on heading up the most inept department in the City of Seattle this week . HEY GRACE, how about instead of going to Brazil, make your next trip to Denver or Boston eh ?

The guys/gals on the front line have done an outstanding job with the little to no leadership. It would be nice to hear what she has to say about how well things are working in this mess. I can't wait to attend the next city council meeting.

Posted 3 years ago #
JL
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Agree. We were downtown today and Pike street between 4th and 5th was crazy. If they want shoppers to come downtown....clean the streets and make them safe! It was a slippery snow mess and this is a main street downtown!

Posted 3 years ago #
ToddinWestwood
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Over and over again, I have heard that you can travel, without problem, anywhere in the Puget Sound, EXCEPT SEATTLE!
We are one of the only cities to use rubber tips on the snowplows because we dont want to bbreak off the lane markers. Most snowy cities use steel.

Posted 3 years ago #
Trisket
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Rubber tipped snowplows and de-icer that doesn't work???? I bet Crunican eats with a cork on her fork so as not to put her eye out.

Posted 3 years ago #
CMP
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It's frustrating that SDOT puts the safety of the environment ahead of people that actually pay taxes. Give me a break. I would expect secondary streets to be ignored, but there were a few roads downtown that needed some plow time which made me give up going to REI. I had to chuckle when I saw the JJCCMMSSUUPP hills from 1st up to 5th that were still closed yet had been plowed down to the pavement. Some lessons SDOT can learn from this: remove those bumps in the road so you can use a metal blade to plow and buy some salt.

Posted 3 years ago #
ToddinWestwood
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Saw some woman on the news last night who had the best point ever about seattle's snow removal "theory"
She said " there is thousands of cars out here, stuck in the snow, Idling and spinning their tires, How good is that for the air and the environment?"
So we get some salt in the salt water around here big deal. Salt is a natural compound that will wash away verus god-knows-what chemicals are in the de-icer.

Posted 3 years ago #
MrJT
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If anyone needs a fine example of what a fiasco this City is, drive Southbound on West Marginal Way. I have a 2 year old truck that probably needs new shocks, struts, and quite possibly a new set of rims on the front. The thing that is most infuriating is when you get to the countyline, at the bottom of Highland Park drive. BARE & WET. Not that King County is perfect, but they have at least figured out how to effectively clear a road.

Thanks for saving my paint job though SDOT.. maybe next time you buy a car pay attention and notice that it has corrosion protection package.
Were not all driving 68 Oldsmobiles anymore.

Posted 3 years ago #
shelbi
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Thank you for posting this... I went to the forums with an intent to post a Rant to SDOT myself and there it was! This city ought to be ashamed of itself. Ventured out yesterday afternoon from West Seattle to downtown and I was absolutly shocked to see how poorly the roads have been plowed. Even around the hospitals it was horrendous. After being downtown, I went to PCC, California Ave our main thoroughfare was a disaster. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!

Posted 3 years ago #
squareeyes
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I was already scheduled to get new rear shocks next week (one freaking month out of warranty! but that's a different rant). I'm just wondering how much additional damage I incurred trying to get from South Lake Union to the Polyclinic and back yesterday. I grew up in Michigan where studs and tire chains were not allowed and have never experienced road conditions like this - 6" deep ice ruts, vehicles bouncing sideways all over the road (both Pike and Pine to be specific), and morons in minivans (okay, just one) tailgating to try to get me to go faster. And later, I found the Mercer Street feeder onto I-5 had same appalling conditions. I drove to Bellevue last night where all the main roads were completely clear, not even snow in the center of the road. How can downtown Bellevue be clear when downtown Seattle is an icy mogul mess?

Posted 3 years ago #
JoB
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one bad decision.. the road markers.. lead to another bad decision... the rubber tipped snow plows.. leads to another bad decision for Seattle... chemical deicer.

chemical deicer works best when it stays where it is and works it's way down.

i suspect the deicer simply makes it's way to the nearest storm drain here.. which maybe good when it all thaws and we want those storm drains working.

but.. this is just one of many cases of taking the easy out short term and paying for it long term that i have seen here.

Posted 3 years ago #
Concerned Citizen
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Cross posted from another area on WSB:

My nightmare scenario is the power going out from the weight of the ice and snow, and being stuck without heat and no even moderately reasonable way to get out to warmth safely.

Surely emergency planners at the City have thought of this scenario? Not everyone lives near a community center or school or other shelter.

Not everyone can AFFORD generators ... or I'd have one. I'm lucky to have a car, at least.

Posted 3 years ago #
Jill
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CMP, I happen to think that taking ground water runoff into account is thinking of the people who pay the taxes. But all the same, I know there are people who don't, so I was bummed that the SDOT spokesperson I heard on the radio mentioned only the environmental factor. I'm guessing that the cost factor of using salt is huge, which it seems no one is really thinking of. And what else might be involved -- extra equipment? extra labor? I mean, are they supposed to plan for this big undertaking, and what happens the other 11 years when the big snowstorm doesn't happen? I'm not saying SDOT couldn't do a better job, but I don't know that anyone has the magic solution that would eliminate all of these traffic issues in an exceptionally bad snow storm, without forking over a huge amount of tax money. I'm thinking if we had salt, the whining would just be diverted to a different Inconvenient Thing about snow storms, or the fact that the salt is ruining the paint jobs on everyone's cars.

Posted 3 years ago #
JoB
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no generator and no gas and no fireplace or woodstove here.. and i am also worried about what happens when if the power goes out since i have dogs i can't take to a shelter... and i won't leave them alone in the house.

we will do the best we can and hope for a better response from seattle electric than from SDOT...

it doesn't take electricity to sing christmas carols or to tell stories or to play board games or to do puzzles or....

i hope it doesn't happen, but if it does, it'll be an adventure...

Posted 3 years ago #
MrJT
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JoB - You must not have been here in O6 to witness the constant fumbling of Jorge Currasco leader of the clown posse commonly known as Seattle City Light explaining why people didn't have power for more than a week. Do not expect any better service from them when the power goes out than you got from SDOT when it snows.

Posted 3 years ago #
WSB
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A nostalgic flashback
http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=1939

Posted 3 years ago #
JoB
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So should I make sure all my long underwear is clean or just hope my nose plugs up?

i did make sure i have a burner that will boil water.. on the covered porch... so we can enjoy spicy noodle soup:)

and i can always hope they learned from their mistakes...

but.. you are right, i was snugly in Minnesota in 2006.. i think:)

Posted 3 years ago #