Mayor Gives Progress Report
Check out Friday’s video message from Mayor Josh Cohen about the status of the city’s snow removal efforts just days after the city was hit with an estimated 42 inches of snow. With more than 40 machines at its disposal, the City is attacking side streets and cul-de-sacs across Annapolis to make roads passable.
The pace of the removal effort is certainly quickening as the city continues to add contractors to the city’s fleet. The Emergency Snow Routes were made passable on Thursday. The Snow Connector Routes were made passable on Friday. Also Friday: Half of the city’s residential roads were made passable.
Please remember: Crews are trying to make streets “passable,” which is not the same as clear down to bare pavement. As the Mayor wrote on Monday, there’s simply too much packed snow and ice on the streets to do more. We want to remove enough snow so roads are traversable. That strategy is allowing crews to cover more streets more quickly than they would otherwise.
Feel free to leave a comment. Thank you.
Jackson street in Eastport is still unplowed as of about 10:00 am 2/15/10. Thank you for your attention.
Your team and the city workers did a great job with the unprecedented snowfall that we’ve received this year, but could there be some alternatives to the suspended trash collection service that will continue now for over 2 weeks. As an alternative this week, perhaps having a temporary drop off site in the city limits that residents can drop off their trash and recycled items.
Windwhisper Lane (<100 block) is not passable yet. Crews have made great progress on about 25% of the circle, but MUCH of the circle is still hard, packed snow and ice. I appreciate what has been done, but the job still needs to be finished.
Dear Mayor Cohen,
On behalf of the neighbors on Mooring Point Court, I would like to thank you and your hard working staff for the quick response in plowing our street last night!
Josh,
thanks for the response. DPW did a great job. The front loaders just left (10:45 pm) and the hill on Yachtsman is finally cleared and safe.
we on Stehle Street thank you. All’s clear here. Very good folks doing it also. Senior citizens here (Bill/Erika Walsh and Chanina Maschler) well taken care of! Cleared Amos Garrett immediately and Stehle when appropriate. Most of all, communication was excellent from the city and from Ward One, who coordinated help from St. John and Academy student body. We’re very lucky.
Thank you very much. The backhoe came down Brewer Ave. and definitely improved the condition of the street. And many thanks to all the hard working crew who have been out there clearing the roads.
Due to the inclement weather we had during the past several weeks, no trash or recycling has been picked up, which is understandable because of needing manpower for snow removal.
However, we have large bags of recycling and some bags of regular trash.
I just read on the city’s webpage the following “TRASH/RECYCLING COLLECTION: With DPW crews focusing on snow removal, no refuse services will be provided until Thursday, Feb. 18. This includes trash, recycling and yard waste collection…….” I’ve been monitoring this just about every three days or so.
Again, I wholeheartedly understand, BUT I am willing to deliver it myself if I have to, so can we just bring the trash and/or recycling to the Spa Rd City Government location please. We have no where else to put it.
Thanks ahead of time.
Josh
Talk about quick service, Mooring Point is being plowed right now. Our neighborhood is out celebrating. Thank you so much for the quick turn around.
Mayor Cohen,
PLEASE get us help on Ellington Drive. Evidently we got a visit from a salt truck today and softened the snow which made conditions worst to drive thru. We have yet to have it plowed AT ALL.
We are a dead end street. One good swipe down the middle would help TREMENDOUSLY! PLEASE?! We also have very deep soft snow as you turn onto Ellington Drive.
Karen Isaac
Josh,
We did get a salt truck on The hill at Yachtsman Way this morning at 9:30, but it hasn’t helped much. We still have 18 houses stuck up here. Can we get something to break up the ice pack on the road?
Robert, thanks for your note. We have a backhoe working in the next neighborhood over right now (Sunday evening) and we will send him over later tonight.
Josh
Robert, the backhoe we had working in Mooring Point Court had a mechanical failure so we won’t be able to get back to Yachtsman Way tonight. We will get a crew back in there tomorrow (Monday).
Josh
Josh,
Quick note to let you know that Bank Street is still in need of snow/ice removal. The street is only about 150 feet long and connects Bay Ridge Ave to a private community. Bank Street is the only ingress/egress for that community so, without adequate snow removal, there are over 100 homes that are “snow locked”. Currently, Bank Street is passable as a one lane road. Residents have been courteous about watching for incoming or outgoing vehicles before turning onto Bank Street, but two passable lanes would be greatly appreciated and certainly would make for a much safer situation. Thank you, and the DPW crews and contractors, for your help.
Dear Josh,
I live on Hawkins Lane in Heritage and have seen three cars get stuck in front of my house in the last hour. Although a plow has been through our neighborhood several times today, it has often made matters worse. I do not take this to be a matter of ill will but rather of using the wrong machine for the job or of having insufficient knowledge. We need a smaller plow and someone who understands how to use it. Thank you for your attention to this and for all of your hard work.
Sincerely,
Chester Burke
Chester, thanks for your note. We have a crew working the Merryman Drive area this evening (Sunday) and they will swing by Hawkins Lane later tonight if they have time; otherwise we will get in there tomorrow morning.
Josh
Mr. Mayor,
I want to thank the city’s DPW employees for all of their tremendous efforts dealing with what Mother Nature has bestowed upon us. Unfortunately, man in his infinite wisdom, continues to not use common sense. Why do I constantly and continually see snow removal equipment driving over and not plowing the same streets time and time again. It is most assuredly a waste of time (which is money), human resources and wear and tear on the equipment. I have seen a dump truck with a plow attached on the front pass by my home on Hawkins La. three times in the past 3 or 4 days without moving one snowflake with its plow. The citizens of this great city deserve more responsible and more closely monitored guidance of its DPW employees.
Josh
I live on Mooring Point Court off Windwhishper. Our street has not been touched since the first storm. This happens to us for every storm. There are 24 of us here snowed in. HELP!
Nancy, thanks for letting me know. We will get a crew out there by tomorrow at the latest, but if we are able to we will get it done later tonight (Sunday).
Josh
I’m looking at at least 4 inches of ice covering Brewer Avenue while the rest of Homewood looks much better (and I’m not just looking at snow emergency routes). It’s trecherous. DPW doesn’t have a timeline for us to be plowed. The residents had to resort to paying a a private plow after the first storm but that’s not and shouldn’t have to be an option this time around. We have traffic coming up and down Brewer from the West Street Quick Mart. Are we going to see some relief out here?
Thanks for your comment. Brewer Ave is a narrow street and it is difficult for some of our heavier equipment to get in there, but we are sending a bobcat in this evening (Sunday) to break up some of the ice. It has limited ability to break the ice but it is much better than a plow for this purpose.
Josh
Residents are required to shovel their sidewalks, although many never do and receive no penalty. I would like to know why the city does not shovel its own sidewalks, specifically those on St. Mary’s and Compromise at the recreation center. Walking in that area is impossible.
Mr. Cohen,
The northwestern half of Spa View Avenue (that near to Maryland Hall) has yet to see a snow plow. It is now Day 8. And, last night, as a private plumbing truck which was responding to a basement flooding was being dug out of the snow on the street, we witnessed the 4th time that a large plow went speeding down Chase St and “plowed” the same half of Spa View Avenue which has been “plowed” repeatedly. I use quotations because the blade was lifted, and the street cleared previously, but I have little doubt that the DPW logged this as another attempt to plow the city’s streets!
Also, last evening, the mayor of DC said that “he’s got it” meaning that he fully understands that the most important thing a mayor can do is to ensure the rapid and effective removal of garbage and snow. Why don’t you get it? I have spent winters in New York, Chicago, Boston and the Washington area. This snow was unusual, but higher taxes and new equipment aren’t the solution to trucks repeatedly covering streets already plowed and ignoring those unplowed. This is the responsibility of the leaders of DPW and you. And, given how other cities have taken vengeance on mayors who “don’t get it,” you will feel the voters’ anger the next time you run for office.
Thank You. Last nite (during the wee morning hours of Valentine’s Day) the front loader came to Windwhisper Lane and made a major improvement. This morning a plow came in and is currently working to make things better. Thanks for being true to your word. Much appreciated.
Mr. Mayor, I notice that in your midnight report you say that Yachtsman Way is passable. Well guess what – it isn’t. Only the level part of the road was cleared, the hill at the end is still like a luge run and seniors can’t get out safely. I hope we can get something done before the next snow tomorrow evening.
Dear Mayor Cohen,
Thank you for reading and responding to this blog. I must say that I’m quite impressed that the city is using this type of technology to interact with its residents.
However, that’s about all the pleasantries that I have left in me for today… and it’s only 8AM.
I wanted to let you know about the horribly unprofessional group of people that you have “working” for you at DPW. Their disrespectful and condescending attitudes, lack of social skills and flagrant insubordination to the duties assigned to them make me wonder if it’s time to consider restructuring this embarrassment of a department.
While I can certainly understand how busy the city has been trying to clean up after this historic snow fall (except for our streets in Eastport) I can’t understand why I can’t be treated with respect when I call DPW and request that my street (Wells Ave) be salted or plowed.
Let’s pretend that there haven’t been any accidents on our ice packed, unplowed street. Let’s pretend that an ambulance didn’t run into parked cars due to the aforementioned or that vehicles have lost and/or scraped parts because of the steep hills and valleys created by the compacted ice. For a minute or two, perhaps, we should pretend that there are no handicapped or elderly residents on our street that needed to go to the market to get food but couldn’t because the streets are so bad their car won’t even pull out of their driveways.
Now taking all of this “pretending” into consideration I’d like to clue you in on what happens when you call DPW. The phone rings a few times and you’re greeted by a mouth breather that is bothered and irritated by your call. As you politely try to state your concerns and ask for your road to be plowed you’re abruptly interrupted by the high school drop out on the other end of the phone with “I know, I know…. We’re doin’ da best we can. We’ll be out there at some point” (For full effect please read that quote in the cadence and voice of Eeyore from Winnie the Poo).
Once again you tell the Dopey Person Working (DPW) that you acknowledge his hard work and overwhelming responsibility as a phone picker upper however you want to make sure that your street (Wells Ave) gets plowed because the imaginary ambulance that hit your neighbor’s car almost slammed into your imaginary car that is parked next to the imaginary elderly person that can’t drive on the street (Wells Ave) because the imaginary compacted ice is too high.
The icing on the cake is that Eeyore on the phone is now becoming upset that you’re giving him a specific street name and examples of safety issues.
Having this type of buffoon treat callers the way he does only adds insult to injury (literally because I hurt my back breaking up the ice to help people that were stuck). Can I ask you to PLEASE set up some sort of professional triage/reception system for calls like mine? Even if after the phone call my info is crumpled up into a ball and shot into a waste can across the room I would at least feel like someone professional took my call and cared. Heck, you could even have the new triage people give me some sort of confirmation code that my request has been acknowledged…. Even though I may not be able to do anything with that confirmation code.
Mayor… thank you again for your time and your hard work. I’m glad to see you interacting with the people that pay taxes in this fair city.
Good Day,
Dino
Yachtsman Way has not seen a plow, sand, or salt since this snow event started on Friday 5 February, and as at 8: 30 this morning we still have not seen any help. The USPS and delivery trucks cannot get up the hill and we are continually digging out those that try. If we can’t get a plow up here can we PLEASE have a sand and salt truck?
Drove up Bay Ridge this am — between 6th street and Adams the ice in the middle of the two clear tire tracks is so high that the bottom of my car scraped in several places. Not sure if that is better or worse than after I turned onto Adams which is mostly solid ice. Almost every post on your blog is coming from Eastport now. When will we see some results or even acknowledgement of the horrible state of our roads? It has gone from inconvenient to an extreme safety hazard.
Here is a report from our midnight shift supervisor from last night/early this morning (Feb.13/Feb.14):
Equipment being used: 2 Loaders, 1 Backhoe, 4 Dump Trucks, 5 Small trucks
Yachtsman way, Windwhisper La., Alden La. Scott Cir., Kent Rd. and all of West Annapolis is passable.
Contractors:
1 Backhoe, 3 Trucks completed Oxford Landing at 6:30 AM and then sent to N. Glen Area.
1 Backhoe, 2 Trucks completed Maple, N. Linden, Locust, Beech, and still working on Poplar.
1 Loader, 2 Trucks completed Sumner and still woking on Dewey.
2 Loaders, 2 Backhoes 4 Trucks Completed Annapolis St. and Still working on Melvin Av.
—
Today (Sunday Feb. 14) our crews and contractors will continue working side streets and doing clean-up throughout Annapolis. Some of the specific streets they will hit that have been identified on this blog include: German Street, Madison Place and Hill Street, Westwind Drive, 700 block of Springdale and Glendon, and the Wells/Jefferson/Roosevelt/Park/Windsor.
If your street still has not been made passable yet, please post on this blog.
Thank you for your cooperation and patience.
Josh
Mr. Mayor,
THANKS from my neighbors and my wife and me. The crews with a large and a small truck came by and did what we needed at our end of Parkwood.
Things will be awhile getting to totaly normal but we can make it for now. Time for the sun to get with the program.
Mike Briles
I fully understand the epic amounts of snow that the city has seen but as an Eastport resident I feel neglected. Our street, Chester Ave has not been cleared, nor have the surrounding streets. Most of the residents do not have driveways and must park on the street. As of Sat. morning my car had been “grazed” twice while parked on the street with damages totaling over a grand. It frustrates me when I see streets that have been made passable still being worked on and our street is a sheet of ice and craters. Please don’t forget Eastport!!!
Sorry, meant to say “appreciate how hard you and the city employees and contractors are working…”
This is big job and I appreciate how hard you are working to get it done Josh. Is there anyone taking a look at the sidewalks that have not been cleared? I know homeowner may be too overwhelmed with snow, but the businesses, especially those that have cleared off their own parking lots, should be held to the law about their sidewalks. Walking in Eastport on Sixth st after Severn Ave, you have to walk in the street to get to the bridge because most of the businesses have only cleared off enough to allow access to their front doors. The Mercedes lot is an egregious example, as they have piled up snow just past their entrance, making it impossible to go around without walking in the street. The law says they must clear all their sidewalks. Please hold them to it. It is dangerous for everyone to have to step around 6′ tall piles of snow into oncoming traffic. Homeowners with sidewalks need to remember it too – city law states that you must have your sidewalk cleared. Please, clear your sidewalks.
It’s now Saturday night2/13, 8 days after the original storm, and Eastport is a mess. My street, Windsor Ave., was just made a bigger mess by a plow and a front end loader that got stuck, tore up the street and then left! What was marginally passable is now a treacherous safety hazard. We’ve been extremely patient given the magnitude of the job, but enough is enough. Please give us some help. We need some elected officials to make an appearance so they can really see what’s going on.
Josh –
As of 7 pm Saturday 2/13, no plowing on the treacherous 700 block of Annapolis Neck Road – barely make it in 4WD truck w/ Alaskan experienced husband. Our older residents w/ front wheel drive are trapped. Please send DPW ASAP, thanks.
Glad to see you, Josh, at the Rec Center this a.m. Isn’t it a great place for all Annapolitans? Janet
Janet, Annapolis Neck Road is still County-owned and maintained despite the fact that the city annexed the land around it. We called AACo DPW yesterday morning (Saturday) to make sure it was on their list of roads to plow. They said it was and they would get to it. Please let me know tomorrow if it is still untouched.
Thanks.
Josh
Please!! Make sure that German Street and Madison Place are on the lists for snow removal. We did not see a single snow plow in December and have not so far been visited during these recent blizzards. We would be most appreciative!
We need to start a pool on the date the snow will melt. Evey one gives one dollar to enter. This will help with the snow removal.
As of 4am this morning, the downstream end of Jefferson has been cleared (hopefully giving any and all meltwater the opportunity to flow freely to Spa Creek).
Unfortunately the resulting 12 foot high, 12×30 foot wide pile of compressed snow and ice was put directly over the only storm drain on the upper end of the street (elevation-wise), but it is better than the downhill drains being blocked.
Thanks Josh and the folks from DPW who made this happen!
I tried calling Annapolis Public Works today to find out when Springdale Avenue (in Ward
is scheduled to be plowed. The phone number for Public Works in the phone book (which is the same number given for emergencies) is incorrect. It’s a fax number, and I’m sure that the familiar screeching tone would be very frustrating to someone in an emergency situation. (The same fax number is also listed as the phone number for the Annapolis water plant.) Anyone without internet would be at a loss. However, the city police department can provide you with the correct phone number, as I found out.
I understand that it may take days to plow all the side streets in Annapolis, but when plows are still putting finishing touches on main roads that are already perfectly clear (as people have noticed), that doesn’t seem to make sense. Springdale Avenue is at the end of Parkwood Avenue. Although I read that a plow visited Parkwood last night, no one has been down this street or Glendon Avenue, which is off of Springdale. Both are dead end streets – one way in and out. We don’t really have any options. (By the way, the Glendon Avenue street sign blew off the signpost in the last snowstorm.) There is a double curve in the road from Parkwood to Springdale which is proving dangerous. Cars are skidding and getting stuck. Anything you can do to get these streets plowed soon would be appreciated. Thanks.
Mayor Cohen:
I am happy hear that more contractors have been brought in to help with what has been a monumental event~ and I certainly understand the challenges. I do however do not completely understand the City’s Policy of not parking infront of your home during an event such as this on the snow emergency routes.
I live on Madison Street in Eastport, and upon hearing that “If your vehicle is parked on a snow emergency route, I will be impounded.” Not being able to aford to get my vehicle out of impound, if it were to occur, I moved my vehicle off of the street, only to find that the City did not follow through. While I understand the “safety” issues with the plows coming through, in all reality, I now have no parking space infront of my home, and can’t shovel out a space for my vehicle because it is now too heavy to move. In the past, my neighbor and I are able to dig out leaving Less Snow on Madison street infront of our homes, and more room for vehicles to travel. Is there Any possibility the City will review this policy or at least enforce it?
The other issue is that alot of citizens have not shoveled their side walks to get to the Eastport Shopping Center, which leaves us to be on the road with vehicles. What happened to ticketing residents who don’t shovel the sidewalks infront of their residences?
Thanks for responding to my email earlier today. A snow plow just came through the First St intersection I mentioned earlier and made a good effort to make the road more passable! The very nice driver also stopped for a few minutes to help dig out a driver who was blocking the road.
Where do we send Thank You notes for these hard-working guys/gals?
We have been without trash and recycle pickup for three or four weeks. Do you think you could pickup on Tuesday for Route 1, so we don’t have to wait another week.
Mayor Cohen, please get out of your snowplow, get into a regular car, drive yourself to your old house on Jefferson Street, and let us know your thoughts about the current state of the streets in Eastport.
We have not gotten mail or garbage service in over a week and will not be getting any in the foreseeable future unless something drastically changes with the state of the roads. UPS was attempting deliveries in our area but now they have stopped.
The intersection where an ambulance was stuck for an hour a day and a half ago now has a huge mound of snow and about a 5 square foot patch of pavement and is STILL surrounded by streets thickly covered by ice. Help!
You and the city Public Works employees are doing a great job under the overwhelming circumstances of such a huge snow storm. Keep up your video updates.
Thanks for having a truck come to the Parkwood comunity last night. The driver was very nice and did what he could, but pointed out that he was linmited because of the size of his bladeand the lack of it’s ability to cut down to pavement. He promised to have someone look at the situation today.
Where does the Federal government stand on our situation? The National guard’s HUMVEES are helping in some MD. venues but I haven’t seen any results from FEMA or any other Fed org.
Great job on the emergency routes!
However, most of First St (Eastport) is impassable. There are at least 3 healthcare providers (two dentists and an Neonatal ICU nurse) who need to get through the intersection at First and Chester to get to work. Friday cars were stuck intermittently all day and night. I understand that not much can be done with ice, but if we could get a plow to move the slush at that intersection today, tonight might be much safer! Thanks…keep up the good work!
Great idea to let the city residents park in the garages. It would be great if this could be a regular service for all pending snow storms. Its a win/win position. The city gets vehicles off the street and citizens have a place to keep their vehicles clean of snow
The effort is wonderful. I hope that you also understand that while the streets rae passable, they may not be parkable. I hope you will keep the garages free for the week while the snow melts off the streets. It’s been a very big help so far this week. Thank you!
Mayor Cohen -
Thanks to all the city workers who have taken phone calls and plowed/salted the streets of Annapolis!
Unfortunately, we here in the community of Timber Creek (just off Bay Ridge Ave across from SPCA)have not yet been plowed by the city Sat @9:02). The city spread salt yesterday. We had to pay for a private contractor twice to clear our streets (we only have two). So far, we have had many cars stuck in the snow as well as a UPS truck.
Not sure what can be done now that the snow is so packed down but we would appreciate a “good” look and some help. I’ve just spoken with the city PWD and they are sending someone to “look” at our streets. We don’t want to spend more of our money for another plow and hope the city will step in.
Historically, we have been forgotten/one of the last streets to be plowed. We understand where we are in the order of plowing but to not get anything is very disheartening and dangerous. I saw city snow plows behind our house in another community on Thu.
Anything you can do would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks for your help.
I realize people are working hard and it is appreciated, but the side streets in Eastport have not been touched as of Saturday 2/13. We’ve had a number of accidents occur on our street, including an ambulance, which plowed into a parked car. We have elderly and handicapped neighbors who have been dug out by helpful neighbors and friends, but the streets are not safe or passable for citizens or emergency vehicles.
Also, don’t bother calling the emergency DPW number. The person just says “Yeah, we’re heading your way. I know it’s bad out there. It’s bad all over….” Not helpful at all. Talk about feeling totally helpless and ignored!
Spring has never failed to make an appearance. The city has done a great job. Just read the positive comments.
Josh — Thanks for adding the private contractor support. The extra trucks were really needed. My street is being cleared by a backhoe as I write this. After 7-days, this is welcome news.
Also, I like the Youtube video. Please post “early & often” in a crisis. It helps us to know what’s going on.
you home does not have a fashionable address.
Well done! The budget should be easy after this!
I understand that the crews are working 24/7 to try to clean our streets and parking lots. However, I am amazed that my street, Fairhope Court, has not seen a plow truck or even a salt truck after the events of last night(Thursday 2/11).
I arrived home around 7:30pm to find an ambulance stuck in front of my house. My neighbors told me it had been stuck for about 30 minutes prior to my arrival. It had come in response to a 9-1-1 call from someone in the cul-de-sac and became stuck as it drove towards her house. With help from neighbors and their shovels, we were still unsuccessful in our attempts to move the ambulance. A police officer ran over to the condos across Georgetown Road and told the snow removal contractor to come over and clean out the street, because the ambulance was stuck. In the meantime, the patient was wheeled out of her house and into the street to wait for her ride to the hospital.
While she waited for the ambulance to be freed, another emergency vehicle arrived and she was wheeled to the top of the street and put into that vehicle. Eventually, around 8:20pm, the ambulance was finally towed out of Fairhope Court.
Today(Friday 2/12), I have seen plows and salt trucks around the neighborhood continuing to clear the snow emergency routes, which are pretty clear. Not one of them has gone down the side streets of Georgetown Road. I was under the impression that once the snow emergency routes are cleared, the side streets were to be cleared. Am I wrong?