I'm all for being proactive rather than reactive. But I can't figure out how it makes sense for Lincoln's road crews to lay down anti-icing solution even in beautiful weather. Sure the stuff is relatively cheap ($0.05 per gallon). But it isn't free, and more importantly, neither is the labor. Public Works Roger Tiedeman says it's to help prevent frost build-up on bridges and arterials. I guess I didn't realize that frosty arterials were a major cause of fender benders.
In any event, now that December has arrived it's much easier for the City to sell the idea that once-per-week preventative sprayings serve a useful purpose. The deeper into winter we get, the more likely that a "winter weather event" -- snow, sleet, freezing rain -- will occur within the next week (the stated duration of effectiveness of the solution). And let's be fair: a big chunk of Public Works' motivation is their woeful performance and the subsequent public outcry a couple winters back. By being (appearing?) on the ball, Public Works may be saving itself from a lot of flak later on. Or maybe not. We Lincolnites like to complain about the snow removal crews. There's always something.
Maybe we should shift our complaints to the meteorologists. Public Works could be much more efficient if Ken Siemek could just get his four-week weather models perfected.
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Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that if they have to de-ice the roads in the wee hours of the morning they’ll have to pay several employees overtime?
I support this measure. Last winter we had that ice storm that laid down a good sheet of ice on everything that took months to fully melt. If this helps to prevent that problem it’s worth it. If I could, I would pay for them to come and do a little more work around my home, and maybe even the route to work. I hate ice.
If they spread this stuff and it rains, doesn’t it just wash down the sewer? Average high temp in December is around 37 F
I am sure Omaha wishes it did this before all the accidents on Saturday night, including the two firefighters that got hit by an SUV sliding out of control.
Out of curiosity is this stuff bad for the environment at all?
Well… that little experiment worked well. I live in J St., near Lincoln High. This morning as a few hundred students came down J and other side streets converging on the high school, J was a solid sheet of ice. Cars skidding sideways, sliding past turns and stuck on the minor hill from Capitol Parkway. Never did see a salt or sand truck.
Lincoln may have the most inept street department I’ve ever seen. Are they aware that salt melts ice and may prevent dangerous accidents?
I have to question the effectiveness too. I think it probably helped in places, but there were some places today that were like a sheet of glass.
The paper said it washed away over the past week before the storms. Here’s an idea. Let look at the 7-day…if there are little clouds with crystal shaped ojects falling from them in the near future, Salt the roads….if not…well then, nothing like wasting a little more of my precious taxes
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