NYS*DOT Manpower Shortage?

[x635 4,066]

I'm sitting here in bed, watching the traffic go by on North Central Ave. in Hartsdale.

For 4 1/2 hours, the roadway has remained snow covered, with no NYS*DOT truck in sight, despite living near a Dunkin Donuts. Even after the snowfall let up and stopped, they didn't pass by until an hour later/

Just now, a singular Mack Granite NYS*DOT truck came by and sccraped the right southbound lane and put a petty amount of sand down. The rest of the road is packed snow and ice covered.

I wonder, since it's a multiple lane road, why they don't work on teams?

It seems, from my experience, that Central Ave is always plowed last.

Do they purposely keep the road snow and ice covered for some reason? I'd think they'd scrape the heck out of the road, then apply a salt/sand mixture.

On a side note, this is the first time I've seen the new Mack Granite's in action, and they're awesome!

Maybe a DPW guy on this board could explain things.

[x635 4,066]

Another DOT related item

On the way to the Doctor's office today, I was being driven by my father-in-law when we passed this NYS*DOT Mack Granite blocking an accident scene on the Sprain Northbound by the I287 Eastbound ramp.

[attachmentid=2178]

[Guest partyrock]

I'd imagine its not a shortage, but has more to do with priorities. Central av remains farily navigable as the slop accumulates and carries fewer cars than many of the other roadways the state covers. As far as scrapping the streets to clean pavement, thats easier said than done. Its more important to get the majority of the snow off more roads than get a few roads snow free.

[Guest]

My street hasn't been plowed once. Way to go Rye Brook DPW... But, in reference to your question - i think Partyrock is right on the money. Given that there is only so much apparatus they have to focus on the main arteries first, they'll hid the secondary and side-streets once the storm lets up. Do what you can to stay in, if you gotta go out drive safe!

[BedfordFire 7]

Up here in Bedford, Bedford DPW helps out with the State Roads and plows in tandem being that the State usually runs only one International through here every few hours. I'd imagine Interstate 684 and the Parkways would be plowed first. It may be that there is not enough equipment to go around, but keep in mind they have to travel over and plow a larger area than the local dpw plowing only within that town.

[HFD750 6]

Well I can tell you from a DPW background,Main roads first always secondary roads last,I mean sometimes next day even. We salt the $hit out of the mains get them black and go on to other priorities like fire dept parking lots&aprons,police station lots and ems lots etc... Then we hit municipal lots. Dead end streets are dead last sorry.

[Guest]

Well I can tell you from a DPW background,Main roads first always secondary roads last,I mean sometimes next day even. We salt the $hit out of the mains get them black and go on to other priorities like fire dept parking lots&aprons,police station lots and ems lots etc... Then we hit municipal lots. Dead end streets are dead last sorry.

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and let me compliment Harrison DPW...always a great job w/ the roads and those who live here thank you all!

Edited March 17, 2007 by blkcloud

[x134 46]

I have seen plows all night long in Poughkeepsie. State plows and City plows. It's still snowing like crazy up here. I have already shoveled twice just to stay ahead of it, by the time I was done it was snow covered again.

[Arrowxt 8]

Depends on who is in charge, and how they approach a storm. Some tend to lay down a heavy salt/sand base and then let the traffic work it in. It is called a "slurry" and lends itself easily blown off by a plow truck.

With this strategy , you let the snowload build knowing the underlayer is working and the cars traveling over/thru it are helping.

I can see with this storm and the threat of ice , some folks wanting to keep the "slurry" down until the ice hits and stays on top, once that is over the roads will be in great shape once plowed off.

Have patience, get a good movie , and make some popcorn.

If you got to roll make sure you chain them beast of trucks up, and get there and back safe!!!!!

Arrow

And always thank the plow person. They all do a heck of a job!

[20y2 43]

I gotta say that whoever hit the Route 9/9A southbound roadway did a GREAT job on the roadway, it was very easily drivable during the afternoon rush. The Sprain southbound was also in great shape. However 287 westbound from the TZ was just a pathetic mess.

[Guest]

They are supposed to recieve more then 20 new plow trucks...

[HFD750 6]

Thank you, blkcloud.

[CAM502 6]

OK DPW guys. Seeing as how I know nothing about plowing except that I live on a dead end...lol. Why do I always see plows going down the road with the damn plow blade a few inches off the road? The truck just scrapes the top layer, and leaves behind enough ice, snow, and slush to make life more difficult. Why can't you just scrape it down to the bottom? And please don't tell me potholes are the answer cause the don't fix them around here until someone important blows a tire (and even then it might not get fixed quickly).

[Guest pentax02839]

that is good shot of the new granite macks.do you have any other views?

[ja3kfd 34]

Up here in Bedford, Bedford DPW helps out with the State Roads and plows in tandem being that the State usually runs only one International through here every few hours. I'd imagine Interstate 684 and the Parkways would be plowed first. It may be that there is not enough equipment to go around, but keep in mind they have to travel over and plow a larger area than the local dpw plowing only within that town.

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I can not speak for where you are Seth But I can speak for Bedford,We have 13 6 wheel dump Trucks that both Sand and Plow, we have no trucks with wings, out of those 13 trucks, 5 have under scrappers that we use on dirt roads,we use a salt sand mix,and a Liquid Calium we can spray as we are appling sand and salt to road.We plow and sand all County roads , as well we do approx. half of state roads in town,we sand all roads in start of storm, if we have to plow than we do we do not always sand every time we scrape roads down, driver discretion on that , when storm is over we do sand everything again,the storm we just had though I know we used a lot more material then usual, as soon as we plowed it off sleet covered road and looked like it was not touched.

As well as large trucks we have approx. 12 small pickups and utility trucks we plow with, also have 3 trucks with small 3 yd sanders in them.

We usaually have 1 Large truck and 1 small truck teamed up together.

Are theory is Main Roads first and then secondary roads,but we do not sacrifice one for the other,all roads are done, we save the turnarounds for last,meaning we open them but we push them back after end of storm.

I also know that the more roads the towns plow and sand that belong to the state, the less drivers and trucks they are issued in there yards, the state pays low rates to towns , they give contracts to towns but if you want to get out they need 2 years notice to get trucks and drivers to cover, what you used to do for them.

Also remember they work shifts, usually splitting crews in half, so that gives them less manpower on the roads then local Highway and DPW crews.

Edited March 20, 2007 by ja3kfd

[emt301 4]

Up here in Dutchess, Interstate 84 was an absolute mess. NYS Thruway Authority had plenty of lead-time on this storm, and should have been prepared...I-84 from Fishkill to Stormville became a total parking lot for hours...and despite the heavy precipitation, there was really no excuse for how bad the road conditions were allowed to become. Now of course, given the lead-time, motorists that weren't enroute to a wedding, funeral, or sick relative should really have just stayed off the roads during the storm...plain and simple...but that's a different topic for a different day (called lack of common sense by the public).

Edited March 20, 2007 by emt301

[spike2231 38]

let me comment on the nysdot issues on central avenue and harstdale ave and tarrytown road there is only one truck on central and another on rt 100 from hawthrone to central and another on 119 from white plains to tarrytown these roads are covered by the dot yard in valhalla on 9a at dana rd we also cover 100c to grassland rd and 9a south to yonkers line and north to 117 in pleasantville[ with only 5 trucks] westchester is split up into 2 regions known as 8-8 which is north of 117

and 8-9 which has 6 yards besides valhalla 1 on the sprain 2 on ths saw mill and 2 on the hutch which also does I 684 to exit 3 in armonk

i can only speak for 8-9 but yes we are short men not so much equipment no body wants to work for the state dot hahaha

[HFD750 6]

OK DPW guys.  Seeing as how I know nothing about plowing except that I live on a dead end...lol.  Why do I always see plows going down the road with the damn plow blade a few inches off the road?  The truck just scrapes the top layer, and leaves behind enough ice, snow, and slush to make life more difficult.  Why can't you just scrape it down to the bottom?  And please don't tell me potholes are the answer cause the don't fix them around here until someone important blows a tire (and even then it might not get fixed quickly).

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Well the plow blade should be on the ground. 1. there might be too much ice so the blade won't catch(some blades aren't as heavy as you might think). 2. Maybe the driver you saw was going to fast,that will do it,the plow will just ride the top and bounce. It's not as easy as you think. Have you ever been plowing and BAMN!! hit a manhole cover(you DPW guys know what I'm talking about) knocks the life out of you. Potholes would have nothing to due with the plow riding the top of the snow. Speed,weight of the plow, how far the glides(shoes) are set and how much salt was thrown down before hand are all factors.

Edited March 20, 2007 by HFD750