Town plows through snow

Town plows were out taking care of snow from the Nov. 30 storm on the morning of Dec. 1.

The storm left enough snow to meet the towns requirements for sending out plows and sand trucks.

According to Chuck Bartlett, Streets Department Supervisor for the Town of Saratoga, the town plan for plowing and sanding is implemented once there is two inches of accumulation.

The town prioritized the order in which roads are plowed. The highway through town is plowed and sanded first, which is a state requirement. After the highway, Bartlett said the schools and downtown are plowed next, and neighborhood streets after that.

Bartlett said the main reason for waiting until there are at least two inches of snow to start plowing operations is the plows don't remove all of the snow and ice down to the pavement. Sanding is more expensive than plowing because of the added cost of the "ice slicer" on top of equipment and personnel overhead.

According to Bartlett, the town will sand and plow areas the police department reports as being unsafe even if there has not been the requisite two inches of snow. He said that citizens can call town hall to report areas with slick spots as well.

The town uses two large trucks with plow attachments, one snow plow, a pickup truck and a four-wheeler to maintain streets and sidewalks. If there are large amounts of snow, the town can mount snow pushers on the trucks and uses a backhoe to move snow as needed.

"We know there are some bad areas in town, but they get done when they get done ... people need to be aware and take precautions," Bartlett said. "People need to slow down and start knowing that they are not going to stop as fast."

He noted there are some hills in town that become "extremely slick" and there have even been times when snowplows have slid down the hill at the north end of Range View Avenue where an accident resulting in a child being run over occurred on Nov. 14.

One reoccurring problem that Bartlett noted is when businesses and residents in town push snow from parking lots, driveways and sidewalks into the street after plowing operations are completed. He said this can create a big problem for traffic and encourages people to be aware of when they are pushing snow into the streets.