Snow plowing depends on priorities

KEN, THANK YOU.

>>> WHILE THE STATE TAKE ON THE

MAJOR ROUTE, THE CITIES AND

TOWNS PLOW THE MAJOR ROADS IN

THEIR JURISDICTIONS.

THAT WORKS UNTIL YOU FIND THERE

ARE OTHER PRIORITIES.

THE RESULT IS A LINE IN THE

SNOW AT THE INTERSECTION WHERE

THE PLOWS CAN TURN AROUND.

JULIE SIMMS SHOWS US THOSE

SECTIONS OF TRYON ROAD AND THE

IMPACT.

>> Reporter: WE TALKED TO A LOT

OF PEOPLE WHO SAY SOME PARTS OF

RALEIGH ARE TREACHEROUS.

YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW THAT HERE

IN THE CARY SECTION WHERE IT

LOOKS CLEAN AND DRY.

I SPOKE TO PUBLIC WORKS

EMPLOYEES OF BOTH CITIES AND

THEY SAY SAFETY IS A TOP

PRIORITY FOR EVERYTHING THEY

DO.

HOWEVER WHEN IT COMES TO

CLEARING SNOW, THEY CLEARLY

TAKE DIFFERENT APPROACHES.

BRENDA DRIVE THIS IS STRETCH OF

TRYON ROAD EVERYDAY.

HE WORKS IN AN ANIMAL HOSPITAL

AND ON WEEKS LIKE THIS HE

WISHES HE HAD A CARY ADDRESS,

NOT RALEIGH.

>> RIGHT UP HERE IT WAS OKAY.

AS YOU COME DOWN INTO RALEIGH

HERE IT WAS VERY ICY.

>> Reporter: FROM SKY 5 YOU CAN

SEE THE CLEAR, DRY LANES IN

CARY.

FROM OUR VIEW WITH DRIVE 5 YOU

CAN SEE HOW THAT SAME ROAD IN

RALEIGH IS SQUEEZED DOWN TO RUN

LANE BECAUSE OF ALL THE

REMAINING SNOW AND ICE.

>> WHEN THE CITY DOES A BETTER

JOB THAN THE OTHER CITY DOES.

>> Reporter: SO WE ASKED.

>> WE HAVE 1,050-MILES OF

ROADWAY.

>> Reporter: THIS CITY MANAGER

POINTS OUT TRYON ROAD IS STATE

OWNED AND MAINTAINED AND IS NOT

THE ONLY ONE, SO McGEE SAYS

THE CITY MUST RANK ROADS TO

DETERMINE WHICH TO CLEAR AND

WHICH TO LEAVE FOR D.O.T.

SO, WHICH ONES GET CLEARED

FIRST?

>> MAYBE TRAFFIC CARRIER, BUS

ROUTES, SOMETHING THAT WOULD

TAKE YOU BY A HOSPITAL -- .

>> WE HAVE TAKE THE CHOICE TO

PLOW THEM OFF.

>> Reporter: THE TOWN OF CARY

HAS 25% FEWER ROADS THAN

RALEIGH, YET THEY ARE NEARLY

DOUBLE THE TRUCKS AND PLOWS.

YEARS AGO TOWN COUNCIL ISSUED A

DIRECTIVE THAT SNOW REMOVE MANY

IS A PRIORITY, NO MATTER WHO

OWNS THE ROAD.

>> WE HAVE THE STAFF AND

RESOURCE TO DO IT SO WE WILL

GET OUT THERE AND DO IT.

WE WILL WAIT ON D.O.T.

>> Reporter: SO I ASKED THE

FOLKS IN RALEIGH IF THEY

CONSIDER SCHOOL BUS ROUTES WHEN

THEY RANK THOSE ROADS.

THEY SAY THEY DON'T.

THEY SAY THERE ARE SIMPLY TOO

MANY SCHOOL BUS ROUTES AND THEY

DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO

TACKLE EACH AND EVERY ONE.

AS FOR TRYON ROAD, THE CITY OF

RALEIGH PUT DOWN SALT ON THEIR

PORTION OF THE ROAD AND THEY

SAY THAT IS ALL THEY ARE GOING

TO DO.

THE REST IS UP TO THE D.O.T.

AND EVERYONE IS HOPE THAT THE

SUN AND WARMTH THERE TAKE CARE

OF IT ALL.

>> INTERESTING LOOK AT THE

DIFFERENCE AS HOW THE CITIES

HANDLE IT.

THANK YOU.

JULIE SIMMS LIVE ALONG TRYON