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Local officials say, remember the winter driving skills

Spectrum News

With up to a foot of snow possible in many parts of Western New York and the Finger Lakes over the next day or so, area highway crews have been busy making preparations.

That includes the NYS Transportation Department. Spokesman Jordan Guerrein says the DOT actually has been preparing for months, to make sure that both personnel and equipment are in place.

“We’re going to ensure round the clock coverage for not only our plow operators but for our fleet mechanics in those jobs; in the event that anything happens to one of our pieces of equipment out on the road, we need to get it in there, we need to get it fixed, and we need to make sure we can keep it moving,” Guerrein explained.

Guerrein also asks drivers to cooperate by giving the plows plenty of room on the highways. He says the plows have to travel at a slower speed to make sure their snow clearing efforts are effective.

“Our vehicles are traveling at a much slower rate of speed than you typically would on the highway, so we need people to give us room to work, don’t crowd the plow, and just be cautious that there are these large pieces of equipment working to clear snow,” Guerrein said.

In Rochester, Mayor Lovely Warren asked residents to use extra caution on city streets. Residents can track snow plow progress in real time at: www.cityofrochester.gov/plowtrax/

Warren notes that city 911 and 311 call centers see a high call volume during weather events. To avoid phone lines being overwhelmed, you are asked to call 911 only if you are in need of police, fire or ambulance services, and call 311 for questions about city services.

Rochester residents are reminded that it is their obligation to keep sidewalks in front of their homes and businesses clear. They are also asked to keep fire hydrants clear, and are reminded that it is illegal to shovel or plow snow into the street or public right of way, which may result in ticketing.

Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty has issued a travel advisory for Livingston County starting at 3am on November 12th with a planned ending at 9am on November 12th.

The travel advisory does not mandate or prevent the motoring public from utilizing roadways but instead advises that caution is advised due to hazardous conditions.

 

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.