City officials review snowstorm response amid resident demands
Anger is boiling over as residents say city leaders have failed to keep up with the demands of a major snowstorm. Unsafe roads and a lack of clear communication have left many wondering if enough is being done.
ST. LOUIS - Anger is boiling over as residents say city leaders have failed to keep up with the demands of a major snowstorm. Unsafe roads and a lack of clear communication have left many wondering if enough is being done.
Wednesday, city leaders faced tough questions from residents demanding answers and action.
At the public infrastructure and utilities committee meeting, City of St. Louis’ Street Director presented an overview of snow operations, revealing the city only had 50 plow trucks and 53 employees working 12-hour shifts to manage the storm’s 10.6 inches of snowfall.
“If there’s one lane open on the street, it’s passable. That does not mean you can see the black pavement from curb to curb. That means there’s a passable lane that cars can travel,” director Betherny Williams said.
The city’s efforts focused on arterial routes like Kingshighway and Goodfellow Boulevards, while residential streets remained unplowed, a long-standing policy due to equipment limitations. Some locals say the city’s response fell short.
“It would’ve just been helpful for just the salt—we didn’t get anything. There’s been no salt laid down, and I feel like that would’ve helped with the traffic coming through," a resident stated.
Another local added, “I haven’t had trash pickup in my neighborhood for over two weeks. I don’t know what they are doing; they are not doing anything with the snow and ice on my street.”
Many experiencing these issues were in attendance, and over 30 residents attended via Zoom. Williams acknowledged the need for internal improvements.
“There’s things internally that we need to do. As well as updating our routes, as you can see here, our routes have not been updated since 2014,” Williams said.
City officials noted they are taking notes and planning for adjustments for the next snowstorm.
Mayor Tishaura Jones announced before the meeting that small plow trucks will be dispatched to treat residential streets—a step the city hopes will alleviate concerns.
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