LETTER: Enforce or remove city’s snow ordinance

Talk about it

To the Editor:

Regardless of the warnings from the weather bureau that a snowfall could be expected, announcements by the city when streets and avenues would be plowed, vehicles still remained in the roadway.

I live on the end of West Fourth Avenue, and after the 9-plus inches of snow, driving from my place to Sanborn, six cars and a large utility trailer were left on the street for the plows to go around. Several of those vehicles remained there for days. A few days before the most recent snowfall, the trailer was pulled ahead one parking space, and remained there and was plowed around again.

Just after the plows went past my place after the most recent snowfall, I left my place as I have a route where I go and clean up sidewalks and driveways. There were cars on the streets everywhere that have been plowed around. Fourteen vehicles remained on the street from my place to Sanborn, and plows were forced to go around them.

As you all know, West Fourth Avenue is one of the one-way streets that was voted on to remain as a one-way or go back to the two-way traffic. One of the arguments used was the streets are too narrow. Now you figure it out: with a big vehicle parked on one side and the plow going around it, and a vehicle parked on the other side and the plow going around, it sure doesn’t leave much room to drive between those ridges of snow.

I can only suggest two options: enforce the ordinance, or remove it. Why have such messy streets all over town that have big ridges of snow to drive over when they do decide to move their vehicles?

Tags: opinion, letters, weather, snow, local, mitchell