WS Seeks Better Way to Inform Residents about Snow Removal

Clearing Winston-Salem city streets took small army of more than 300.

City streets across Winston-Salem are finally cleared of snow and ice. According to spokesman Ed McNeal, the city is responsible for just under 1,000 miles of roadway. He says by Saturday night (February 15), crews had cleared about 95% of them. While the city sent alerts to area media with updates on road conditions, McNeal says city leaders are seeking better ways to get directly inform residents about which roads are passable and which ones are still blocked.
“We tried to have an active role on social media to educate the public about where we were," explains McNeal. "We need to do a better job telling them what the strategy is, when we are deploying the number of workers and provide realistic expectations of when streets will be cleared or when they will get attention.”
City workers who drive big trucks in other departments, such as parks and recreation and sanitation, also helped clear the streets. According to McNeal, earlier this winter, the city trained them as part of the city's emergency snow plan to increase overall coverage. “It's not as simple as putting a person behind the wheel. What you've done is add a multiple thousand pound shield or plow on the front of that vehicle and a huge box of salt on the back. So that vehicle does not drive the way it would normally drive.”
McNeal says road crews worked 12 hour shifts around the clock from Tuesday through Friday. At least 40 people worked each shift.