NEWS

Winter Weather has Students Concerned

Reporting By: Ryan Reszel

Videography By: Abby Riese

Winter weather has arrived in Madison, and the amount of snow remaining on roadways has left some students frustrated and concerned about their safety.

Madison students were up early Sunday morning clearing more than six inches of snow and ice off their sidewalks and porches. And while the city does what it can, students feel that city workers have not done their part to clean up the slippery roads.

UW-Madison junior Jack Zeller had troubles traveling Saturday night. “We drove down Bassett toward John Nolen and it felt like we were off-roading,” Zeller said. “There was just ice all over the road and it was all bumpy and covered in snow. The car was jumping back and forth. It was uncomfortable and dangerous.”

Christopher Guess, a UW-Madison senior, had similar problems. “They plow all the snow into the bike lanes,” Guess said. “I ride my bike around town a lot and so I’m forced onto the main streets or onto the sidewalk – both much more dangerous than if I was in the bike lane.”

Although students might be disappointed with the amount of snow and ice left on the roads, Street Superintendent Al Schumacher says clearing Madison’s 670 street miles is not an easy task. “With the 165 to 170 pieces of equipment that we put out, it takes 10 to 12 hours on a normal plow to complete all the plowing,” Schumacher said.

One of the limitations to clearing the roads, though, is the amount of salt the city is allowed to use – Madison can only drop 300 pounds per lane mile.

The Madison Department of Natural Resources and other organizations are working to lessen the already reduced amount of salt being used. If the city council would agree, the situation would be out of Schumacher’s control. “Once that decision is made, that’s the decision we have to live by,” said Schumacher. “And if that means like we’re doing right now, not salting as many streets, people have to learn to live with that.”