Winter Storm Hits Southern Tier

2/8/2013 (Updated 10:57:23 PM)

BINGHAMTON -- The New York State Department of Transportation tells Fox 40 that the first snow plow hit the roads shortly after 2 pm on Friday.
   
But crews began preparing at 2:00am Friday, monitoring roadways, making sure the plows operated correctly and the trucks were full of salt to spread.  Dave Hamburg, DOT Public Information Officer, says that in a storm like this, no one should be on the road but if you need to be driving, be safe, especially around plows.

"Stay far enough behind the plow.  That means at least eight car lengths behind the plow," Hamburg said.  "If you can't see their side mirrors, they can't see you.  It's never a good idea to pass a plow because the road ahead of the plow has not yet been treated, so the best place to be is that safe distance behind the plow."

Meanwhile, some snow plow drivers have already hit the roads, but even before the snow started falling highway supervisors, like Walter Smith, took to the streets to examine road conditions and possible hazards.

"What supervisors normally do when they go out prior to the storm is look for anything that could be a problem during the storm," Smith said.  "Sometimes there's work zones that were left up where there's a possibility with all the snow and you're winging and plowing that you would hit the cones or signs.  Also we have some bridge joints here and there that stick up that the plow might catch, causing a problem."

Smith says that supervisors are also on the roads during the storm to make sure that all roads and ramps are being properly treated.

You can do your part to help make snow removal more efficient.
   
The City of Binghamton has been preparing for the storm over the last few days, but posing a problem to plow drivers is cars parking on the street.  Terry Kellogg, Deputy Commissioner, DPW, asks everyone to park somewhere else.

"We're asking city residents, if possible, to park off-street to allow our trucks to pass," Kellogg said.  "We want to advise residents that our law enforcement will be enforcing alternate side of the street parking.  We're opening up parking lots at the city parks and we'll open up the parking ramps downtown at 5:00 pm [Friday] with free parking until Sunday at noon."

Kellogg says that snow plow operators will be working 12 hour shifts with 24 hour coverage until the storm passes.

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