Snow? What Snow?

Record Snowfall Stymies Travel On Long Island

The Long Island Railroad is barely rolling. The area's airports are a mess. There's white stuff everywhere you look. But how are the roadways in your neighborhood?

Reports from The Community Alliance spotters are coming in, and from what we're hearing, all of the primary roadways are just about down to the asphalt, and most, if not all of the secondary roads have been plowed at least once.

All roads are passable, if not still snow covered.

Kudos to the Town of Hempstead Highway Department, for "pre-salting" the major roadways at the start of the storm, and for sending the plows through residential streets even before the snow stopped falling.

Somewhat less than a "high-five" for post-plowing performance, with most secondary roadways not seeing a spreader after the plows had completed their rounds, leaving many residential streets better suited for speed skating and bobsledding than for driving.

One recurring theme: Redundancy and duplication of effort. Seen on the streets of incorporated villages, for example, was snow removal equipment from the village, the Town (in some instances, two Towns), the County, and the State Department of Transportation.

Thank goodness the federal government doesn't get involved in snow removal efforts. Otherwise, we'd be seeing plows and spreaders from FEMA -- come about May or June!

We need to coordinate, among other governmental functions, snow removal. To continue to offer overlapping services is a waste of time, energy, and MONEY!

So, how was snow removal in your community?

Take it slowly on the roads, neighbors. The snow that melts during the day will turn to ice once the sun goes down. Be careful out there!