Spokesman-Review Letter to the Editor
Mayor should flex muscle
Thank You to Jody Cramsie for her letter of Jan. 16 (“A better snow plan”). Your suggestions are wonderful. Here are two more. First, use dump trucks to pick up snow berms from the middle of downtown streets and dump it into the river. Secondly, can city vehicles be modified to accommodate plow blades? If so, the blades could be available to put on when needed, doubling the plowing force.
We elected a strong mayor in Spokane, and I’d sure like to start seeing some muscle. Designate days for north/south and east/west streets. If someone is parked on streets where plowing is scheduled, either tow them away or fine the owners. The added revenue will help offset the cost of plow blades.
When sidewalks need shoveling, get out there and shovel them if you’re able. Be a good neighbor and shovel your elderly neighbor’s sidewalk also. Martin Nelson (“Spokane man clearing sidewalks,” Janm. 16) set a beautiful example by shoveling sidewalks for four city blocks downtown just to help keep pedestrians safe.
Although this winter broke all kinds of records, winter happens every year and a large snowfall should never be a surprise.
Wendy Boggs
Spokane
I cringed when I read Ms. Boggs’ suggestion to dump snow from downtown snow berms into the river. I couldn’t tell you the exact laws or ordinances this would violate, but with all the rules in place to protect our water quality and control the total maximum daily load of phosphates into the river, I’m pretty sure that would be considered polluting the river. Not only does that snow have dirt and rocks in it, but also deicing chemicals, gas, and oil.
As for designating north/south and east/west days to plow, that’s already done in the neighborhoods with narrow roads. The other areas are all done based on priority.
Ms. Boggs doesn’t specify what kind of City vehicles she recommends putting plows on. When I worked for the City, I drove either a Toyota Prius or a really old Crown Vic. It was almost big enough for a plow…
The city used to dump the snow into the river, in fact you can still see where they did it. Just east of the Green Street Bridge on Upriver Drive is a place you can back up a dump truck to the railing and dump your load of snow into the river. Now I know they stopped due to the polluting the river and I think that was a wise move, the river should not be a sewer to wash away all our garbage. I do think they need to get more cars off the streets when they are plowing, but how to do that is probably the question of the day.
I’ll remember that dump spot along the river next time I’m loading up to go to the dump. Just kidding 🙂
I worked at the City through one round of both plowing Browne’s Addition and sweeping it, and each time people came out of the woodwork saying they hadn’t heard anything about it in advance, so didn’t move their cars. That’s despite a LOT of press coverage by TV and print media. They also post signs in the area, so I’m with you, I don’t know what else they can do to get the word out. There’s the option of going door to door but it’s not cost effective at all.