As frigid temperatures continue in the Puget Sound region, City of Edmonds public works employees are busy around the clock to keep the city’s priority travel routes passable.
Public works crews “have been running 24/7,” said City Street/Storms Manager Tod Moles, adding that plow trucks, sanders and anti-ice vehicles are being deployed. “We will continue on 24 hours until it (the cold weather) breaks,” he said, with crews remaining on priority routes “for the foreseeable future.”
As of Monday morning, “all of our major priority routes remain open at this time,” Moles said. (You can see the city’s snow removal map here.)
Moles encourages residents to stay home “if they don’t have the proper equipment on their vehicles,” noting that the weather forecast “will have us in this freeze condition for a few days.”
Due to unsafe driving conditions, local garbage collection services were canceled Monday.
Sound Disposal, which serves the Edmonds Bowl area, said it was canceling waste pickup services for Monday due to inclement weather, and announced Tuesday morning that service was also canceled for a second day.
And Republic Services also has canceled service for all of its Western Washington routes.
Both trash haulers said they would be collecting double the regular amount of garbage at no charge on customers’ next regular service collection day.
Due to icy conditions, Edmonds College said it would continue operating remotely Tuesday, Dec. 28, with all in-person services and activities are canceled.
The Edmonds Waterfront Center also said it would be closed Tuesday for all senior programs due to the weather “and for the safety of our volunteers, members and staff. The Potlatch Bistro will also be closed for the week, the Waterfront Center said.
It’s possible the Waterfront Center could be closed additonal days this week based on the weather, road conditions and parking lot safety. Call 425-774-5555 to learn about the latest updates and confirm whether they are open, or visit www.edmondswaterfrontcenter.org for the most current information.
South County Fire is advising those with fire hydrants located near their home or business to help by removing snow and ice from them.
For those seeking datytime shelter from the cold weather, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church’s Parish Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this week. The church is located at 21405 82nd Pl. W. in Edmonds’ Five Corners neighborhood.
And for overnight shelter, South Snohomish County’s Emergency Cold Weather shelter is located in Lynnwood and opens on nights with temperatures below 34 degrees. There are three pick-up locations in South Snohomish County. More information can be found at www.WeAllBelong.org.
Thank you Edmonds Public Works department for working so hard keeping our roads clear. Much appreciated.
But Public Works isn’t working to keep our roads “clear.” They have a much lower standard, merely that roads be “passable.” It’s right there in the first sentence.
Seriously? Where are they?
There is a map linked in the article showing the priority and secondary priority streets in Edmonds that are being plowed to keep open. Since they are already working 24 hours a day, there’s not much that they can do. Maybe we could look into more funding for the department for more trucks and employees (which would require more taxes on us). However, I am certainly grateful for all of the extra work they are putting in with what they have.
Part of the issue is that people get cars and/or tires that can’t handle the snow, and when we have snow like we do every year, they are just utterly shocked when snow arrives and their car can’t handle it.
Thank you to all of the public works employees spending long hours on these holidays to keep roads open and safe.
You should add a link to your previous news story on what we can do to help.
https://myedmondsnews.com/2021/12/snohomish-county-crews-shift-from-snowplowing-to-deicing-as-temperatures-fall/
Specifically the note that people should make sure to try to keep roadways clear for the snow plows to operate.
“Vehicles parked along all major arterials and emergency routes must be moved off the street. Those vehicles left in the travel lane of a roadway and blocking traffic may be towed at the owner’s expense. It is recommended for vehicles to be moved when snow is in the forecast. Parking vehicles in the driveway and off the road helps the snowplows finish routes more quickly and efficiently.
Try to keep garbage bins and other obstacles out of the street when the roads are icy or covered with snow.”
Thanks to everyone who are helping to clear the roads, the employees keeping our grocery stores open, and everyone helping our seniors and other neighbors in need.
I’m sure they are working hard, but their definition of clear and mine are different.
@Theresa – Unfortunately, yes, it is different if you’ve lived in an area that routinely has more than a couple inches of snow and longer periods of freezing weather. Our PW is not funded to actually clear our streets.
As of 3pm yesterday it looks like that Edmonds crews have done NOTHING. I had to park 5 blocks from my house because that was as close as I could get to 220th where my house is. Zero sanding, Minimal plowing. A plow drove by while I was parking my car and the plow was set to 2 or 3 inches above the street and did nothing. The plow was equipped with a sander it was not sanding. I had been driving from mason county AKA the Stix and the main roads up until I hit Edmonds were drivable. However is in charge of the public works here in Edmonds should resign
Not sure if this applies to the locations of those with concerns, but here’s the priority route map for plowing:
https://p1cdn4static.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_16494932/File/Government/Departments/Public%20Works%20and%20Utilities/Snow_Removal_Routes_Map_2012.pdf
I live pretty close the corner of 96th and 220th. Both appeared to be unplowed, and not sanded last night. I have yet to ventured outside to look today.
Let’s give the city folks a little break here. It is pretty hard to keep the roads “clear” when it snows a couple inches every other night. Bell Street Hill at 8th. was lightly plowed and sanded a day after the first snow. A few hours later we got a couple more inches on top overnight. Yesterday I saw the plow again, same place. lightly grading and dropping ice melt liquid this time. This morning I see at least another inch or so of snow.
This is not normal. The city is doing the best it can with what it has as far as I can see. If you have a front or rear wheel drive car with worn or bald tires, you won’t make it in this stuff. Grow up people. Get prepared for reality for a change and quit sounding so needy. Chains work, ice and snow type tires work, and four and all wheel drive work. If all else fails a good pair of rubber boots work well enough to get to some sort of public transit stop if you just must get out somewhere. Life is real; life is earnest. Try harder, plan better and you will be much happier for it. Happy New Year
Imagine the criticisms if Edmonds were to spent who knows how much on a few more snowplows, to combat a situation we face seldom, and only for a few days!
There would be at least forty letters-to-the-editor, we would be divided into two camps violently opposed to each other, the Council would have about twenty meetings to discuss it, reverse policy, revise the reversal, hire a fabulously expensive consultant, put on a meaningless and loaded poll, decide it’s somehow because of racism, and even then leave us, by mid-summer, with the same snow removal resources that we have now.
Best to save the money and let sleeping snow lie.
Please come plow the 5th street by the ferry please. thank you!!!!!1
I fell today. Because of this City’s inability to handle even a 4-inch snow storm. Storm hit last Sunday. It is Saturday 7 days later and it looks the same.. but no matter how much you complain no one really cares. Go back to sleep Public Works Department. Sorry to bother you sincerely Mark Thomas