Road And Transit Officials Deal With Winter Storm
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With snow and rain expected to impact the area, officials were working hard to keep roads and transit running smoothly on Tuesday.
PennDOT brined expressways and salted roads well in advance of the storm, with all 182 trucks ready for action.
Depending upon the course of the storm and the intensity of it," PennDOT spokesman Gene Blaum said, "we always have the option to bring in additional trucks from the contractors who work for PennDOT during the winter months. We could have up to over 400 trucks, if necessary."
The Philadelphia Streets Department said it was concentrating on primary roads, bridges and areas of high elevation where slippery spots develop, and the commissioner urged residents to treat their sidewalks and allow extra time for driving.
Blaum had some other reminders.
"Your wipers are on, your headlights have to be one," Blaum said. "So just drive safely and give themselves plenty of time to get to where they're going, because travel should be moving at a slower rate of speed, so your travel times are going to be slower."
SEPTA and New Jersey Transit were also urging patience while commuting.
"You never know how winter weather is going to hit and impact modes," said New Jersey Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder. "Sometimes our rails service will run a little bit slower depending on the type of storm."
Snyder said the system is cross-honoring tickets on all of its vehicles.
Tuesday's storm was expected to drop as much as an inch of slushy snow in the city, and one to three inches in Philadelphia's northern and western suburbs.
