Cities plow snow toward curb for good reason

Method causes annual complaints

COLUMBIA BASIN - Tim Varney remembers a winter about 10 years ago when snowplow drivers in Moses Lake tried leaving the remnants of snow in the middle of the road.

The change came because residents complained about snow blocking some driveways after being plowed to the curb, said Varney, Moses Lake's public works superintendent.

But the 2-foot high snow pile thawed, froze and became an obstacle. Some drivers tried to drive over the pile, but got high-centered, he said.

As a result, Moses Lake reverted to its original policy of plowing from the center to the curb in residential areas. Ephrata follows the same practice.

This winter is no different, with the first snowfall of the year prompting town officials to remind residents why snow is plowed in such a fashion.

Ephrata's streets aren't wide enough in residential areas and there's not enough time for workers to clean off every driveway, said Bill Sangster, Ephrata's public works director.

But Sangster said he understands residents' frustrations.

"Twenty minutes after they shovel it out, here we come," he said.

Downtown Basin Street in Ephrata is handled differently. The state Department of Transportation plows Basin Street and Ephrata picks up the snow to help businesses keep their storefronts clear, he said.

It's illegal to push snow back on the street in Ephrata because it creates a hazard for other drivers and slows snow removal for the rest of the town, stated Wes Crago, Ephrata's city administrator.

In Ephrata, plowing residential streets comes after the town finishes plowing streets to hospitals, schools and Basin Street.

Residential streets in Moses Lake are plowed only after two inches of snow has fallen and there's a prediction of more snow, Varney said. Emergency routes, arterial streets and school bus routes are plowed before Moses Lake's residential streets.