Mayor: Residential roads reach 95% passable; city suspends sidewalk fines
Crews preparing for weekend storm as focus shifts to hard-to-reach areas
Residential roads in Alexandria are now 95% passable, up from 57% on Wednesday, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said in a video update Thursday afternoon.
“The focus for today is continuing the work to reach every single street until 100% of streets are 100% passable,” Gaskins said. “We are also focused on going back over some of the hardest to reach areas and areas where the conditions are not up to the level that we need them to be.”
Crews are also prioritizing sidewalks, particularly routes to transit stops and schools, and beginning preventative treatment on cleared streets ahead of possible snow this weekend.
Gaskins said the city is suspending fines for sidewalk clearance given the difficult conditions.
“We want you to clear your sidewalk. We want you to be working just like we are,” she said. “But we also know it’s difficult out there. And so we’re not going to be penalizing residents when they’re fighting the same fight that we are fighting.”
Residents who need help clearing sidewalks—or who can lend a hand—are encouraged to sign up for the city’s Snow Buddy Program, which connects volunteers with seniors, homebound or disabled residents who cannot shovel on their own.
The mayor addressed questions about how the city deploys resources, saying decisions are not based on neighborhood affluence or tax base. Streets are categorized as primary, secondary or tertiary to prioritize evacuation routes, hospitals, fire stations, police stations, schools and critical assets.
“The same conditions you’re seeing out there and the difficulty you’re facing clearing your sidewalks are exactly what we’re seeing on the road,” Gaskins said. “In some cases, we’ve had to deploy as many as four bobcats at a time for one street to get through the ice.”
Some streets have taken one to three hours to clear, she said.
Looking ahead
A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. tonight through 11 a.m. Friday, with wind chills as low as 9 below zero. Dangerous wind chills are possible through the weekend, with the lowest values expected Saturday night.
A chance of snow returns Saturday, mainly after 1 p.m., with a 30% chance increasing to 40% Saturday night. The National Weather Service said there is a slight winter storm threat Friday through Sunday—if it materializes, travel disruptions are possible.
Sunday looks dry but blustery, with a high near 25.