Mayor: 100% of high-traffic trails clear; crews target Old Town parking
First full school day since storm; Gaskins headed to Richmond for General Assembly
All high-traffic trails in Alexandria are now clear, and crews spent Wednesday tackling major roads, alleys, sidewalks, and intersections, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said in a video update Thursday—the first full day of normal school operations since the ice storm hit Jan. 25.
Crews focused on clearing travel lanes and intersections on Richmond Highway, Washington Street South, Pickett Street, Beauregard Street, and Commonwealth Avenue. They also treated alleyways ahead of Thursday trash pickup and targeted sidewalks in high-population areas along Duke Street and Van Dorn.
The city made contact with apartment complexes that had untouched sidewalks wrapping around their properties, issuing warnings and offering help.
Old Town parking
Gaskins said the city is working on a plan to clear snow from Old Town, the city’s main business corridor, where parking remains limited. The plan could involve posting temporary no-parking signs late in the evening and bringing in heavy equipment to remove large amounts of snow at once.
General Assembly
Gaskins and Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley are headed to Richmond on Thursday for Local Government Day as the General Assembly session continues. Gaskins said hundreds of bills impact Alexandria, covering everything from energy rates and utility bills to affordable housing and speed enforcement.
Ice storm by the numbers
The Jan. 25 storm was the worst in 30 years, according to City Manager Jim Parajon. Here’s a look at the response, compiled by The Alexandria Brief from our reporting over the past 11 days:
The storm: More than 7 inches of snow followed by hours of freezing rain and sleet that turned to solid ice. The city declared a local emergency and activated its Emergency Operations Center.
The response: More than 100 pieces of snow removal equipment, 200-plus city staff, eight private contractors, and an additional 200 contract workers. Crews worked 24-hour shifts around the clock. The city’s 22 plows each cost about $400,000, with another $100,000 to $200,000 per unit for staffing.
The snow: More than 5,000 truckloads of snow hauled out of the city, averaging 600 loads per day at peak. Snow was stored at Dangerfield Island, Four Mile Run Park, and Northern Virginia Community College after earlier sites reached capacity. Some major roads required 20-plus passes to clear.
The roads: Residential roads went from 57% passable on Jan. 28 to 95% on Jan. 29 to 99% on Jan. 31. All primary and secondary streets were passable by Jan. 31. More than 2,000 intersections required clearing, each taking over an hour.
The schools: Students were out of school buildings for 11 days—Jan. 23 through Feb. 1. Five consecutive days of virtual learning due to the storm, followed by two days of two-hour delays. Normal schedules resumed Thursday, Feb. 5. Nearly 1,000 bus stops needed clearing. School bus drivers did a dry run on Jan. 31 to test routes.
The sidewalks: The top 311 complaint throughout the response. Enforcement was paused for six days and resumed Feb. 3 with warnings. Crews cleared 119 bus stops in a single day. The city cleared all city-owned sidewalks and contacted apartment complexes with uncleared walks.
The community: The winter shelter at Mill Road operated 24 hours with about 30 people staying there. Warming centers opened at five recreation centers and four library branches. Trash collection was canceled Monday through Wednesday of the first week. The Del Ray Farmers Market was canceled for the first time in more than 30 years. Restaurant Week was extended through Feb. 8.
Impressive logistics breakdown, especially the 5000 truckloads detail. That hour-per-intersection clearing time explains why residential recovery took so long. I lived through asimilar sleet situation once and the compounding effect of frozen layers is brutal. Good to see the city tracking metrics and adjusitng instead of just reacting blindly.