Road Crews Work To Prevent Refreezing, Urge Residents To Shovel
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Temperatures were up Sunday but were expected to slide back down at night. That had road crews working to prevent a big refreeze and officials in Philadelphia asking residents to do their part.
Officials say it's an obligation to clear off the snow and ice from your sidewalk, a public safety issue, you certainly wouldn't want others to slip and fall on your property. It's a concern says Philadelphia Streets Commissioner David Perri who saw it firsthand making the rounds.
"Folks are required to shovel a three-foot-wide sidewalk within six hours after the storm is over," Perri says. "One other important point -- if you live on the corner, if you have a corner property, it's real important to shovel out the handicap ramp at that corner."
Another problem, which happens after every storm, is shovelers putting that snow and slush onto the street. You could face a fine if you get caught.
"We take that very seriously," Perri says. "We want to get the message out. Please do not throw snow out into the street."
Perri says despite Philadelphia not matching Boston with all the snow, it's still been a very active winter season.
"We're only one deployment behind the record pace of last year," he says, "in terms of the number of times we've had to organize and treat city streets for either snow or ice."
Throw in the sub-freezing temperatures, and that's meant delayed trash collections as well during the winter. And, Perri warns drivers about a rocky road in the near future.
"The extreme cold has been a huge challenge for us," he says. "It portends for an active pothole season coming up."
Already, the department says they've fixed more than 6,300 potholes in the city this year.
