LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington residents living on unranked streets have endured two weeks of treacherous, icy road conditions while waiting for city snow removal assistance that may never come. Those streets aren't on the city's so-called plow list.
The city's snow removal ranking system prioritizes roads based on traffic volume, access to public transportation, emergency services, schools and operational efficiency. But for those living on unranked streets like Brown Avenue, navigating deep frozen ruts has become a daily challenge.
"When the storm came on Saturday, I didn't leave my house till the next Saturday," Shirley Buchanon said. "I couldn't go anywhere."
Others, like Brittany Kinnard, have had no choice but to brave the bumpy conditions.
"So this is the best this road has been in the past two weeks," Kinnard said. "It's just ice, the accumulation of the ice and snow and of course we're never going to get plowed, so it's just something that we got to deal with every year but we make it."
The mayor's office said residents can email requests for snow removal assistance, which are considered on a case-by-case basis.
During reporting on Brown Avenue, a city plow truck arrived to salt and scrape the street.
"I texted my husband and said they're finally here," Buchanon said. "Anything is better than nothing."
Mayor Linda Gorton, who has acknowledged the city could improve its snow removal efforts, announced Friday that Lexington is moving ahead to hire a contractor capable of handling ice storms during extended cold periods.
"Clearly, under these conditions, we don't have the tools we need to get the ice off the streets, so we're going to hire the right kind of help," Gorton said. "Ice is becoming a more frequent visitor during our winters. It is a formidable foe. We need to be better prepared to handle it."
The city is planning an internal, extensive, military-style after-action review of its storm response to identify what went right and what went wrong. The review will examine the full timeline of preparations and response, organizational structure, communication, accountability and the impact of the $3.5 million investment made after the 2025 storm.
Gorton invited residents to contribute improvement ideas by emailing mayor@lexingtonky.gov.
Despite the challenging conditions, residents like Kinnard maintain their resilience.
"You know, we're making it, we do our best, as long as you don't hit anybody else's car - you should be ok," Kinnard said.
