I really didn't think I would have this much material to write about regarding our two back-to-back blizzards in February. And, I really thought my last entry (Plenty of the white stuff - 5 a.k.a as stick a fork in me, I'm done) was going to be my last on the topic. BUT, I have one more left in me and as each day gets further and further from our last snowfall, I find myself getting more and more worked up about it. I am talking about the snow removal and plowing done by the county -- specifically Fairfax County.
We haven't had any significant snowfall since the afternoon on Wednesday, February 10th. And, if you were to look at our roads, sidewalks, and parking lots, you'd think the snow just stopped coming down. I get that we received roughly 4 feet or more in some areas within a week. I get that our area is not used to this amount of snow. I get that there is only so many places you can move the snow to. Yes, I get all that. And I am sure that everyone is doing the best job they can do. I do want to give appropriate kudos to the plowers who take care of the main roads. Fairfax County Parkway, Ox Road, the Beltway, Route 66, 395 are in great shape and got that way almost immediately post snowfall. Even Burke Centre Parkway was almost perfect during and after the snowstorms. But first you would have to navigate the side roads to find this out.
It's these side roads, the neighborhood roads, the secondary roads that I am ranting about. Enough is enough!! It makes absolutely no sense to me why some roads are in pristine condition, with 2 lanes and visible concrete on the road and other roads are like a rollercoaster ride, complete with divots, huge chunks of ice, many, many unleveled areas and a measly one narrow lane to drive in. Heaven forbid you encounter another vehicle coming in the opposite direction and need to figure out how to get by them. Currently there is much goodwill and considerate drivers who are patient and will do what they can to help you get by, but for how much longer? And some roads are still one big sheet of ice. And when you come to a stop sign, you hold your breath, the car will stop and not slide straight through it.
I am at a loss why 5 full days after the last snowfall we still have roads in these conditions. What other job do these plowers possibly have that keep them from working on this to make it better? The county should be especially ashamed of the conditions of Spring Lake Drive, Split Oak Lane, and Oak Green Drive. Having had to use these roads to get where I needed to go, I was appalled at the condition of them. Obviously no one important or anyone who works for VDOT lives on these roads.
I fear for the kids who need to get to bus stops and don't have sidewalks to use. I feel for the bus drivers who have to use these roads to get to the kids. It is embarrassing that the county feels these roads are considered plowed and someone has a check mark on their to-do list for it being completed.
I have one thing left to add before ending my rant and never speaking of this again. If women (specifically MOTHERS) were in charge of getting the roads clear, it would've been done and done right within 24 hours of the snow stopping. I know for a fact we have special multi-tasking powers that wouldn't allow us to stop until the job was done and up to our standards. And believe me, these mothers wouldn't allow 7 school days to be missed before our kids were able to return.
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