2011 Blizzard: How are the roads downtown?

[Townsend]

Why are you all going to QT when all the grocery stores are.open? 

Shh, they'll get our milk.

[custosnox]

Saw a mail truck downtown.  He slowed down and opend his door as he was coming down the street.  When he got to where I was he just looked up and said he lost one of his chains and kept going. 

[guido911]

Shh, they'll get our milk.

I went to the Walmart at 111th & Memorial and there was NO milk in the dairy frigs. Didn't venture into the Braums right in front.

[nathanm]

I went to the Walmart at 111th & Memorial and there was NO milk in the dairy frigs. Didn't venture into the Braums right in front.

Yet another reason I'll keep shopping at Reasor's. There was plenty of milk. Not as much as usual, but still plenty. Plenty of bread, too. The only thing they were out of that I was looking for was carrots. Yes. Carrots. And they were almost out of frozen pizzas.

[guido911]

Yet another reason I'll keep shopping at Reasor's. There was plenty of milk. Not as much as usual, but still plenty. Plenty of bread, too. The only thing they were out of that I was looking for was carrots. Yes. Carrots. And they were almost out of frozen pizzas.

Love Reasors. The closest one to me is 5 miles away.

[nathanm]

Love Reasors. The closest one to me is 5 miles away.

Food Pyramid is closer, but IDK if they have any milk.

[TheTed]

Starting yesterday, I've actually seen some pavement downtown. I'm not sure what took them so long to realize it's more important to plow the roads than to worry about clearing piles of snow.

Another advantage of ultra wide streets: clear the middle two lanes on the four lane one way streets and pile the snow in the outer and parking lanes and you still have more than enough road capacity.

Downtown streets are much better today than they were 24 hours ago.

[nathanm]

Starting yesterday, I've actually seen some pavement downtown. I'm not sure what took them so long to realize it's more important to plow the roads than to worry about clearing piles of snow.

I think it's more important to make as many roads as possible passable than to clear certain roads down to pavement. Even a little Honda (IOW, most vehicles) can get around if the road is covered in snow, so long as it's packed down. It only takes one pass with a plow to clear one lane and another to make it a two way road again. Many fewer vehicles can get around in over a foot of unpacked snow.

Clearing the roads down to pavement takes many more passes, thus reducing the number of roads that are passable for most people.

[DTowner]

The difference in downtown streets from yesterday to today is huge.  City changed its strategy of trying to haul off all snow - which left a few streets like Detroit clear from curb to curb, but left most streets untouched.  Last night the city started simply pushing the snow into piles like a parking lot.  They will haul off the piles later.  I also think the city moved a lot more equipment into downtown last night.  Unfortunately, all of this came too late for the work week.

[AngieB]

We saw a lot of plows out clearing streets yesterday. I know I'll make it to work tomorrow...but beyond that...OI!

[cynical]

As of around 10:30 last night the streets downtown were driveable. The city had cleared the deep snow on every street I checked. There is a catch, as usual. The plows pushed the snow to the side of the road, blocking entry to every parking lot. First Methodist had plowed its lot off Boulder in anticipation of services this morning, but late last night every entrance to the lot was blocked by a 3-4 foot snow bank. Likewise the lots immediately south of Holy Family and across from the Fry & Elder law office on Cheyenne. I forgot to check the entrances to the parking garages, but I figure the building management will get those cleared before Monday. There is very little curbside parking and surface lots might be inaccessible. Even alleys are blocked by the plowed snow banks.

There's still plenty of work to do downtown. I'll check again late this afternoon.

[nathanm]

Today, the unplowed streets are/were the worst they've been yet. Slush on a layer of ice. I had to help three people get off my street so I could go pick someone up. I was really wishing I had either M+S or Blizzaks on the RAV4 trying to get out of the neighborhood. I didn't get stuck, but I was sliding around far more than I was even on Tuesday during the snow.

So if you're venturing out tonight or early tomorrow, be sure to have a shovel. You may need it just to get to an arterial.

The arterials where in fantastic shape where I was driving.

[cynical]

Downtown is improving day by day. Most of the lots can now be accessed. For pedestrians, wear waterproof boots. Water dammed by the snow piles can get deep.

The neighborhoods are horrible. A hard freeze would be an improvement.

[Salukipoke]

I think it's more important to make as many roads as possible passable than to clear certain roads down to pavement. Even a little Honda (IOW, most vehicles) can get around if the road is covered in snow, so long as it's packed down. It only takes one pass with a plow to clear one lane and another to make it a two way road again. Many fewer vehicles can get around in over a foot of unpacked snow.

Clearing the roads down to pavement takes many more passes, thus reducing the number of roads that are passable for most people.

Completely agree.  The way Tulsa and surrounding cities have handled this snow is a complete embarrassment.  The city of Tulsa (per Dewey) has at least 50 trucks on the streets and around 1700 lane miles of streets.  To cover every lane mile, each truck would have to travel just 34 miles.  I realize it takes multiple passes for some streets, but given the time we've had; every street could have been plowed at least twice and some as many as three times.

Perfect example of how they've mismanaged this; I was driving down Sheridan yesterday afternoon and it was in great shape.  Two clear, dry lanes.  Coming northbound in front of the Farm was a plow with his plow down.  He was plowing about 4 to 6" worth of snow in the gutter.  The street in front of my business (along with countless miles of neighborhood streets) hasn't been touch once, but the city thinks we're in good enough shape to be touching up the main streets???!!!  Really?

[waterboy]

I wonder if they do that in anticipation of the melt/refreeze process. If the snow that is melting cannot reach the gutters and drains, then it pools up and causes what we had in our parking lot this morning, a long patch of ice about a half inch thick.

This city is never going to be well prepared or well orchestrated for a heavy snow followed by low temps. We won't make that investment. Remember, this one dropped snow on South Padre Island.