(WSB photo from December 18, looking north on California from Thistle)
We and the rest of the world have pointed to today’s Seattle Times story, and this afternoon the city Transportation Department has sent its entire media list a “statement on snow response.” It doesn’t particularly rebut anything in reporter Susan Kelleher‘s story, though. Read on for the text, and some handwritten log sheets the city sent along:

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is moving
forward with improving its ability to respond to future winter storms.
Having reviewed its plowing and coordination practices, the department
has committed to twelve major improvements as outlined in the citywide
After Action Report of February 2009. These changes include using salt
during severe winter storms, expanding its fleet to 29 plows, adding 13
contract plows, deploying inspectors to assess road conditions,
enhancing coordination with King County Metro Transit and developing an
extreme winter weather plan. A number of these changes, such as the new
salt policy, are already in effect and have been used in recent snow
storms.

As noted in the After Action Report, the December storm severely
limited Metro bus service and garbage pick-up and inconvenienced
thousands of residents. SDOT is committed to ensuring a faster, more
comprehensive response to the next severe weather event.

SDOT resources were deployed throughout the December 2008 storm as
needed to benefit the greatest number of residents. The Winter Storm
Response plan called for particular attention to elevated structures
more susceptible to freezing winds and ice accumulation, such as the
Alaskan Way Viaduct and West Seattle Bridge. Crews worked 24-hours to
ensure these major roadways never closed.

During the storm, SDOT sent crews across the city to clear wheelchair
ramps and sidewalk landings. Neighborhoods included West Seattle, Queen
Anne, Capitol Hill and North Seattle: higher elevation locations that
received a disproportionate amount of snow and ice.

For an example of the city-wide effort, please see attached PDF file of
the daily crew report for Dec. 15, detailing snow and ice clearing.

Here’s that PDF – handwritten log sheets (you’ll have to rotate them), which seem to focus on areas of the city other than ours. December 18th, though, was the peak day of the snowstorm – we’ll always remember it for the high level of WSBer participation and record WSB site traffic, not to mention, the snow. (For comparison’s sake, here’s one of our as-it-happened reports from December 15th; here’s the biggest one from December 18th.)