Side streets in Detroit still unplowed

[begingri]

While the main thoroughfares of Detroit are relatively clear, the roads in the city's neighborhoods are anything but.

Many streets were unplowed and clogged this afternoon with knee-high snow drifts, forcing many residents to walk on the road because the sidewalks were buried.

Terrell Henderson wished he had kept his 1992 Ford Taurus at his east-side home. The 36-year-old father was driving to the store this afternoon for cold medicine when his car got stuck in a deep snow drift a block from his house.

"Same old, same old," he said, walking back home for a shovel. "Just another day in the city."

But for many cash-strapped Detroiters, snow brought opportunities.

Hoping to make a little cash by shoveling sidewalks and driveways, Justin Graham, 23, walked up and down snow-clogged streets in search of someone willing to pay $5 to $10 for his service. But after two hours, there was only one taker
"It's tough out here," said Graham, who is unemployed and rents an east-side house for $250 a month. "You do what you got to do, but sometimes it's not enough."

A few miles away, walkers-by and artists began the arduous task of shoveling entire blocks around the Heidelberg Project, a popular outdoor art experiment in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood.

"This is what art is about – bringing people together as a community," said Lisa Marie Rodriguez, an artist who lives at a house within the project. "It's a peaceful existence because we care about each other."




Source: http://www.freep.com/article/2011020...still-unplowed

[begingri]

Personlly, I think the Free Press is jumping the gun on a story like this. I live in Sterling Heights and our side streets just got plowed within the last hour. This story was written before 8 p.m.

[DetroitDad]

Still unplowed at families homes in Livonia.

[fryar]

...the Heidelberg Project, a popular outdoor art experiment in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood.

I sure do wish the local media would make more of an effort to describe and explain local landmarks to their readers. If only they would have described the snowdrifts around the suspended metallic fist near Hart Plaza, which I have always interpreted as a menacing reminder to Canada that it would do well to content itself with a lesser role firmly in America's [[sic) shadow, the Freep might have had the opportunity to include an illuminating aside about it, and thereby educate me.

OK, I'm done, you can continue to deplore the state of city services now, everyone.

[Detroitej72]

Most side streets in Warren remain unplowed, are they going to write an article about that city too? Seems to me that the Freep is taking the lazy approach and using a tired, worn out story as a filler for their incredibly thin paper.

[Meddle]

Plowing sidestreets? When did they start doing that? I can't remember Detroit ever plowing sidestreets in the 40+ years I lived there.

[313WX]

City salt trucks came down our streets last night.

I haven't seen a plow truck however.

[RYANGUARD]

Plowing sidestreets? When did they start doing that? I can't remember Detroit ever plowing sidestreets in the 40+ years I lived there.

I remember living in the City on the northside when the City Council thought it would be a good idea to make all of the streets one-way so that in the summer the streets could be swept and in the winter they could plow the streets.I remember the old 2 man garbage trucks had snow plows mounted on them and they came down Hull street 3 abreast.That happened 1 time.I wish I had taken a pic of that!The streets were posted so that on M-T-W you parked on one side and on T-F-S you parked on the other side.Sunday you could park on both sides.I also remember it was a mess because most of my neighbors had 2 cars so that meant parking on Minnesota during the day so that you wouldn't receive a ticket.The streets are still one-way in my old neighborhood,they were never switched back after the experiment.

[MikeM]

My unsustainable suburb plowed my residential street at 10:30 yesterday morning, then they plowed my sidewalk around 2:00 PM, then they plowed the alleys around 4:00 PM. Then for some reason, they plowed the sidewalks again about an hour ago.

[izzyindetroit]

Make sure your sidewalk is cleared off regardless of your street. You wouldn't want to get fined.


Oh! Know what really grinds my gears?? If a big ass snow plow comes along and pushes all the snow from the street onto your sidewalk, you are required to remove it. But if you clear your sidewalk snow into the street, you will get fined. That makes no f'ing sense to me.


City of Detroit Ordinance #139H - Snow and Ice Emergency

50-8-1
No person shall permit any snow or ice to remain on the sidewalk, in front, rear, or sides of any house, premises, building, or lot owned, occupied, or controlled by him longer than twenty-four hours, after the same has fallen or formed. Where either snow or ice has fallen or formed on any such sidewalk, such owner, occupant or agent shall, within twenty-four hours after the same has fallen or formed, remove such snow or ice or cause a sufficient quantity of salt, sand, ashes, or other approved materials to be strewn thereon in such a manner as to render the same safe for persons walking thereon.
For the purpose of this section the phrase "Sidewalks in the Front, Rear or Side of any House, Premises, Building or Lot" shall be construed to mean that sidewalk or walks forming a part of the public highway.

50-8-2
REMOVAL OF SNOW, ICE, ETC. FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY ONTO PAVED ROADWAY IS PROHIBITED
No person shall plow, shovel, brush or heap up any snow, ice or other materials from private properties, other than residential, onto the paved roadway of any street or highway.
[[C.O. 1954, ch. 330, & 20; Ord. No. 551-F, & 1)

50-8-3
OBSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC TRAVEL PROHIBITED
Where snow or ice is plowed, shoveled or brushed from any residential property or public sidewalk, it shall not be placed in any manner so as to interfere with public travel.
[[C.O. 1954, ch. 330, & 20; Ord. No. 551-F, & 1)

[bailey]

My unsustainable suburb plowed my residential street at 10:30 yesterday morning, then they plowed my sidewalk around 2:00 PM, then they plowed the alleys around 4:00 PM. Then for some reason, they plowed the sidewalks again about an hour ago.

+1 on that. My sidewalk and street was done by 830am yesterday morning.

So I have some questions about this article...Why is it rewritten every year? I mean I can not remember a winter here without a breathless report about unplowed detroit streets. Clearly the issue is not going to be addressed. Since its not getting adressed, what are detroit's residents doing about it? I'd imagine that if my city's streets were left unplowed for days after a storm [[that turned out to be much ado about nothing), the next city council meeting would be packed with people demanding answers and that heads roll or at least significant remedial actions be taken. This happens, per above, every year for as long as 4 decades. Is this just what residents are willing to put up with in the name of cost containment ? If that is so, then why is it news? If not, where is the outrage?

[izzyindetroit]

+1 on that. My sidewalk and street was done by 830am yesterday morning.

So I have some questions about this article...Why is it rewritten every year? I mean I can not remember a winter here without a breathless report about unplowed detroit streets. Clearly the issue is not going to be addressed. Since its not getting adressed, what are detroit's residents doing about it? I'd imagine that if my city's streets were left unplowed for days after a storm [[that turned out to be much ado about nothing), the next city council meeting would be packed with people demanding answers and that heads roll or at least significant remedial actions be taken. This happens, per above, every year for as long as 4 decades. Is this just what residents are willing to put up with in the name of cost containment ? If that is so, then why is it news? If not, where is the outrage?

[iheartthed]

Plowing sidestreets? When did they start doing that? I can't remember Detroit ever plowing sidestreets in the 40+ years I lived there.

About the time that the city's horrible response to a blizzard factored into Dennis Archer's decision not to run for re-election.

[jackie5275]

+1 on that. My sidewalk and street was done by 830am yesterday morning.

I got you both beat. Mine was done at 7 am yesterday, just in time for my neighbor to get stuck backing out of his driveway.

[courtney]

It's painful to see the St. Clair Shores facebook page after every snow - the people bitching that their street wasn't plowed, the people bitching that their street was plowed to fast, the people bitching that they shouldn't have to clear their sidewalk because their street isn't dry pavement and the people who bitch that those without cable or internet access shouldn't get fines for not knowing they should have shoveled their sidewalk. That's not even counting the ones who whine that suburb x and y had perfectly clear streets so there is no reason theirs shouldn't be as well.

You'd think that snow was a brand new thing in Michigan.

I'm just sad that there aren't any hills and sharp curves here. It was a fine evening of entertainment in South Carolina watching people fly down my parents street breaking the speed limit then come to the curve and ice on a hill 3 days after the storm that hit Georgia/South Carolina in mid January. Apparently they don't teach them not to slam on breaks when they start sliding, despite the fact that every year at least a handful of days of icy roads occur.

[sumas]

It would be nice if residential and business would just shovel sidewalks. In our area of Detroit we get plowed if 6 " or more but it's a private contract. Main roads are fine.

What I do find strange is that people don't know how to drive in snow. My husband helped several area residents who got stuck. All were big suv's. Learn to drive people.

We have a low powered 18 yr old hooptie, didn't get stuck

[fryar]

Oh, and furthermore...

But for many cash-strapped Detroiters, snow brought opportunities.

Hoping to make a little cash by shoveling sidewalks and driveways, Justin Graham, 23, walked up and down snow-clogged streets in search of someone willing to pay $5 to $10 for his service. But after two hours, there was only one taker.

Snow didn't bring opportunities for one Justin Graham, it seems.

Maybe he should have posted his cell phone number to the St. Clair Shores Facebook page, and hightailed it over there.

Seriously, at 5 or 10 bucks a pop, he found one solitary taker? That surprises me, even in the great jobless recovery, even in Detroit. Call me elitist, but $5 not to break your back or risk getting a fine sounds like a welcome opportunity not to be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

[fryar]

To clarify, I don't mean to imply that some people really just aren't in a position to do that, but for nobody to be doing that does surprise me.

[JBMcB]

Most side streets in Warren remain unplowed, are they going to write an article about that city too?

Are you sure about that? Every street in my neighborhood in Warren has been plowed, and we're usually the very last in line. Heading down Dequindre to 8 mile this morning, it looked like all the side streets were in good shape on that stretch.

[daddeeo]

Bunch of panzies.

[Buy American]

I lived in Detroit 48 years. Our residental streets were never plowed. The only time they were plowed is if the neighbors all chipped in and paid a private company to do it, otherwise we all shoveled to get the street cleared. We all had rear wheel drive cars and the ruts in the street were high enough that cars would get hung up on them. The people who parked in alley garages had to shovel the alley to get out. Since when do Detroiters expect their streets to be plowed? Detroit can't afford to buy new police cars or EMS squads or fire engines and the residents want their streets plowed???

[Mipade]

The city plowed my street early yesterday afternoon.

[softailrider]

I was all over then city today and I was shocked that the majority of sidestreets looked like they had been plowed at lease somewhat. This is way in contrast to previous years.

[Al Publican]

Only pussies live on plowed streets. I remember the ice ruts of the winters of '76-'77 and those of the early '80s. Part of the fun of unplowed streets was getting some "confirmed kills," that is, dinette chairs and such put out to mark shoveled out revetments to park cars in. If I spotted some dinette chairs back then, I would steer out of the ruts and go, "Ramming speed!" And I might add, I wasn't a teenage driver then.

[EastsideQT]

I can see the Manoogian Mansion from my living room windows....I saw a plow truck at least three times yesterday on Dwight Street..today the street is free of all snow and ice.