LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington city officials are asking residents to be patient and manage expectations as crews work around the clock to clear roads following recent winter weather.
At a press conference Wednesday, leaders from various city departments provided updates on snow and ice removal efforts. While the state of emergency has ended, an all-hands-on-deck approach continues across the city.
"You say roads are awful, but people are driving on them. They could improve, but they're not impassable. I think folks need to be realistic," said Rob Allen, director of the roads division.
The city invested $2.2 million this year to increase personnel, equipment and contractors for winter weather response. Mayor Linda Gorton emphasized that improvements have been made, even if residents can't see them personally.
"We've added more trucks, plows, contractors, so we do have a bigger, better response. What we have is ice. People need to understand this," Gorton said.
Allen explained that the city's winter weather plan is designed for two to four inches of snow, and sleet and ice make clearing roads even more challenging. He noted that the city has never claimed it could treat or plow every single road.
A ranking system based on traffic count and access to hospitals and schools determines which roads receive priority attention. Allen acknowledged the limitations of the city's resources.
"As far as treating every road, we've gone around and around about this. We just don't have the resources, we're not fiscally capable of doing every road, and the plan is designed for roughly within a half mile of a treated road. Everyone says, 'Well, we all pay taxes,' and that's true, but we try to do as many roads as we can with the resources we have," Allen said.
Crews have worked continuously since the weather event began. Allen reported that main roads are in good condition, thanks partly to this year's additional equipment. Current efforts focus on clearing lower-priority side roads, waste collection sites ahead of Thursday's trash pickup, and expanding turn lanes on busy roads like Man O' War.
"I think a lot of it is about expectations. Certainly we understand people's frustrations getting back to school, getting trash picked up, getting to businesses," Allen said.
City leaders thanked residents for staying home and businesses for closing, saying it was a huge help to snow removal efforts.
Waste collection will resume Thursday for trash only. The ordinance requiring residents to shovel their sidewalks continues to be delayed, meaning residents do not need to clear their sidewalks at this time.
You can find the most up-to-date information regarding Lexington's winter weather response here.
