Mayor: City hauling 600 loads of snow a day; sidewalk enforcement starts with warnings
Gaskins explains why Alexandria doesn't maintain a larger plow fleet
Students returned to Alexandria City Public Schools on Tuesday for the first time since Jan. 22 as the city’s snow response entered its ninth day, with crews hauling about 600 truckloads of snow per day, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said in a video update.
“The kids are finally headed back to school,” Gaskins said. “But the snow response doesn’t stop today.”
Crews are also widening lanes and going back over streets that need additional clearing. Sidewalks remain a top priority.
Sidewalk enforcement
Sidewalk fine enforcement resumed Tuesday, but Gaskins said the city is not coming out swinging.
“That does not mean that we are coming out with rapid fines,” she said. “It means that we’ll be issuing warnings and we’ll be offering to help those who are still struggling to clear their sidewalks.”
After a Level 3 storm, city code typically requires sidewalks to be cleared within 72 hours—which would have been last Wednesday. The city paused enforcement for six days.
“The reality is we need to get our sidewalks clear. We cannot have students, parents, or anyone else in the streets,” Gaskins said.
If city plows pushed snow onto your sidewalk or intersection, submit a 311 request and crews will clear it.
Why not more plows?
Gaskins addressed questions about why the city didn’t have more equipment. Alexandria maintains about 22 plows, each costing roughly $400,000. Each plow requires two full-time employees to run 24-hour shifts, adding another $100,000 to $200,000 per unit.
“It doesn’t make sense for us to maintain a large fleet of equipment that we only use every two to three years,” Gaskins said, adding that each storm may require different types of equipment.
The city declared a local emergency early in the storm to activate additional resources and bring in extra supplies and contractors.
Big picture
Gaskins said the city’s response has to account for everyone—from unhoused residents to homeowners, renters, kids who depend on school meals, people who need medical appointments, trash collection, trails, bus stops and transit routes.
“Our response is focused on how do we serve everyone,” she said.
Crews working to clear streets have been on the job around the clock since last Saturday, Gaskins said.
