Wayne County is responsible for snow removal along more than 1,900
miles of roads within its borders - from major freeways, to surface roads to side
streets [in townships only]. That's an important responsibility that we take very
seriously. In fact, we've taken it seriously for so long that Wayne County was actually
the first agency in the nation to establish a policy of clearing snow from its roads
back in 1910. Here is what we are doing to make sure we are still leading the way
to safe and clear roads during Michigan's tough winters.
Wayne County has at its disposal the largest vehicle fleet of any county in Michigan.
With recent improvements, it is also the youngest, largest and most diverse snow
removal fleet the County has ever had. Here is a snapshot:
In 2000, Wayne County purchased 14 new high-speed plows for use in rural areas.
These plows can throw snow up to 75 feet from the road, which helps keep the road
and its shoulders clear more effectively
The good news is that Wayne County is able to tend to all of its 462 miles of State
freeways and trunklines AND all of its 700 miles of paved primary roads immediately
from the beginning of a snowstorm.
In order to do this, the County has established approximately 130 individual salting/plowing
routes that are addressed simultaneously from the time snow starts falling and sticking.
Each driver knowing exactly where he or she is to be salting [even if it is not
their normal route] allows the County to cover more than 1,100 miles of major roads
in about 90 minutes. Of course, this can vary, depending on weather and traffic
conditions. The effectiveness of the County's salt routes are re-evaluated each
year and changes are made, when necessary, to provide improved service.
When
one truck per route isn't enough
History shows us that more than 98 percent of snow "events" that occur in Wayne
County bring fewer than six inches of snow, having one truck on each route is acceptable,
well, 98 percent of the time. But as we have seen in recent years, Mother Nature
likes to remind us who's the boss.
When enough snow falls that one truck per route is not able to effectively keep
its route safe and clean, we have to reprioritize, which means consolidating more
trucks onto fewer routes. Rather than having all of its routes insufficiently cleared,
the County's approach will be to "Team Plow" its highest priority routes, which
typically will be freeways and other state roads, as well as some of the most heavily
traveled county roads.
While these trucks are able to make the high-priority routes clear much faster this
way, it does mean that some of the lesser traveled primary roads will not see any
attention for a period of time. But once the high-priority routes are cleared, the
teams can be re-deployed to plow the second tier of roads.
IT IS THE COUNTY'S P0LICY THAT WORK WILL CONTINUE AROUND THE CLOCK FOR AS LONG AS
IT TAKES TO CLEAR ALL OF ITS MAJOR ROADS DOWN TO BARE PAVEMENT.
Next, the sidestreets
Once all of the 1,100-plus miles of major roads are cleared and safe, workers will
begin to make their way into township subdivisions - if the accumulated snow has
reached five or six inches. [Unlike townships, cities have their own snow removal
program]. Crews will work continuously until each of its 700-plus miles of secondary
streets has been plowed. Of course, because the county's competing responsibilities
mean that it may take several days to reach the subdivisions, many communities choose
to hire a contractor who will be able to respond more quickly. While this surely
can be disappointing to residents along these streets, the county simple does not
have the resources to fund another tier of snow removal forces.
R.I.C.H System
Along the county's secondary roads, the county also places a priority on school
bus routes and a four-point system called the RICH system, which stands for