Man In Charge Of Plowing Streets Gives OKC A 'B'

Three days after the Oklahoma blizzard, the man in charge of clearing Oklahoma City's streets is grading the city's plowing efforts, and encouraging drivers to be patient.

Friday, February 4th 2011, 2:33 pm

By: News 9


Jon Jordan, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Three days after the Oklahoma blizzard, the man in charge of clearing Oklahoma City's streets is grading the city's plowing efforts, and encouraging drivers to be patient.

Street Superintendent Mike DeGiacomo said the city's snow plowing efforts earned a "B." He admitted more could have been done.

DeGiacomo said crews are still working in 12-hour shifts, and they remain focused on clearing the city's designated snow routes. However, DeGiacomo said the big issue for the city is the lack of equipment. Oklahoma City has 19 snowplows and has put in an order for seven more, which should arrive soon.

"Right now I have 30 trucks or I am supposed to have 30 trucks to run 10 percent of the roadways. That means if I was supposed to do all of the road ways, I would have to have 300 trucks and 600 hundred drivers which we don't have," said DeGiacomo.

And with not enough resources, that means residential roads will remain unplowed.

"We won't be getting into neighborhoods to try to do any snow removal. We just can't do that because we've got so many arterials out there that I have to get to," said DeGiacomo.

DeGiacomo said right now the city remains focused on clearing their emergency routes through Saturday.

DeGiacomo said the other problem is ice. Crews may plow a snow route, but because the ice is so thick, it limits crews from lowering their plows completely to the ground. DeGiacomo said if they lowered their plows to the ground, the ice could break their equipment.

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