LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - FEBRUARY 17, 2019 1 Church St. | LeRoy, NY 14482 | 768-2201 | www.lpgraphics. EMBROIDERY MAKES GREAT GIFTS FOR YOUR FAMILY • FRIENDS • ETC. CUSTOMIZED T-SHIRTS • HATS • JACKETS • TOWELS Eric Stauffer LeRoy Highway Superintendent I took a phone call earlier this winter season and thought that the information exchanged in this conversation might be beneficial to share - which is my reason for this article. The caller was questioning why the road he lives on wasn’t being plowed only salted during a snow event. The roads are cared for based upon the weather forecast for our area. This prediction is just an estimate and can be wrong, but this is how I decide the best way to tackle winter roads. The day I received the call, we were forecasted to have snow then freezing rain. We pretreated the roads with salt and allowed the snow to accumulate on them. The snow while sloppy acted like a blanket to protect the salt from being washed away and kept the freezing rain from making direct contact with the roads, causing black ice. Drivers are more likely to drive with caution when there is visibly sloppy snow then on roads that appear clear, but are actually covered with black ice. I realize that it doesn’t make for easy driving - but unfortunately winter driving is not usually easy. This is just one example of why things are done the way they are. I understand that not everyone may agree with how or why these calls are made but my goal is to keep the roads safe for your family and friends as well as mine. The Town of LeRoy has four extremely dedicated and reliable machine equipment operators that tend to the 140 lane miles of road that needs to be plowed and maintained. These men are responsible for and take pride in their own plow run. The routes each take approximately 2.5 – 3 hrs from start to finish depending upon weather conditions. The length of time also can vary if there are mechanical issues, if there is roads that need to be cleared for emergency vehicles or if there are drivers stuck on the road. When we are having a large snow event, there could be several inches that accumulate on the roads between the times a run is finished and restarted - no roads are ever bypassed or skipped. During the winter months, these same four employees work an 8 hour day Monday thru Friday PLUS whatever time is needed outside regular hours to keep the roads safe. The crew you see at 3am will be the same you see out at 9pm if needed. This can make for a very long day. The team is willing to sacrifice time away from their own families on nights, weekends and holidays to make travel safer for everyone. Please know that although our plows are equipped - with multiple lights - the visibility is much worse than in a standard car or truck - especially in heavy or blowing snow. For your safety and ours – please be sure to give them the time and space that they need to maneuver the trucks to clear the roads. We owe thanks to Dave Uberty, Jeff Keller Rich Minning and Matt Miller. For all of your dedication and hard work! Couldn’t get it done without you!!! Please don’t hesitate to call the Highway Department if you have any questions or concerns. If I am not able to help I will try to direct you to someone that can. Snow Plowing 101