Government of the District of Columbia

DC Department of Public Works

Testimony of
William O. Howland, Jr.
Director

Public Oversight Roundtable on District Snow Removal Operations Plan

Committee on the Environment, Public Works and Transportation

Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, Chairperson

John A. Wilson Building
Room 500
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
December 19, 2011

TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM O. HOWLAND, JR., DIRECTOR
DC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
ON THE DISTRICT SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS PLAN
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION
DECEMBER 19, 2011/11 AM

Introduction

Good morning, Chairperson Cheh, members of the Committee on the Environment, Public Works and Transportation, and members of the Council. I am William O. Howland, Jr, Director of the Department of Public Works and I will testify today about the District’s snow removal operations plan.

Our mission is to:

• Keep our primary, secondary and residential roads safe for vehicular traffic.
• Expedite the return of normal traffic flow, and
• Resume delayed or suspended government services and business commerce in an efficient and safe manner.

At the end of each snow season we conduct an after action review meeting with key members of the snow team and review what went well, what went as expected and what needs to be evaluated for improvement in the program.

Our operations plan reflects months of evaluating the previous year’s performance, analyzing options that may result in improved performance during the upcoming snow season, and making final decisions about personnel deployment, equipment and other purchases, and systems management.

We conduct hours of classroom and road course training for drivers and other personnel. That training is capped by the annual “Dry Run.” All personnel are involved in this final dress rehearsal for a snow event. This year, our first snow event occurred October 29, just one day after the Dry Run.

Personnel, Equipment and Technology

DPW and the District Department of Transportation are responsible for clearing snow and ice from 1,100 miles of roadways and 241 bridges, including the 75-mile National Highway System, which is handled through a contract with Capital Paving.

The District Snow Team consists of about 750 people. The majority of the operations personnel are employed by DPW, DDOT, and are supported the Department of General Services, the Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Water and Sewer Authority, and the Department of Corrections.

The expanded snow team includes the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Department of Human Resources.

These 750 people:

• Drive heavy and light plows.
• Load salt into salt spreaders.
• Spray brine to help prevent ice from forming on roadways.
• Track the plows when they are deployed.
• Shovel snow from bridges sidewalks.
• Perform quality control and safety duties.
• Maintain and fuel the trucks and other equipment.
• Monitor the traffic cameras.
• Ensure communications equipment is functioning properly, and coordinate our response to service requests.

Other personnel ensure time and attendance are recorded, contracts are in place and facilities are maintained.

Our route structure consists of 71 primary and secondary routes, which are our major commercial and larger residential streets. During a snow event, we deploy 6- and 10-wheel dump trucks with plows and salt spreaders along these routes. We call them heavy plows.

Our light plows, the Ford 550s, are deployed along 82 residential routes, which are smaller streets. When the heavy plows finish their routes, we re-deploy them to support the light plows working on the residential routes.

The District has 294 pieces of equipment that can be used during a snow/ice storm. That number includes heavy and light plows.

This year we are getting 45 new 6-wheel dump trucks to replace older vehicles. These trucks will emit fewer pollutants and achieve an 8 percent fuel efficiency boost over the vehicles they are replacing. We have 15 on hand and the remaining vehicles are due to arrive by mid-January.

We regularly deploy equipment to the National Highway System, especially the elevated structures and bridges, and we have 45 trucks for this purpose. An additional 45 pieces of equipment are available if conditions require their use.

A predicted 6 inches of snow will prompt the use of contract plows to supplement our personnel and equipment. We have 85 vendors under contract for this purpose.

Every snow season is unique, which requires a plan to meet our average snowfall of 15 inches throughout the winter. That plan also must be flexible to address emerging needs, such as those that presented themselves during Snowmageddon in 2010.

Last week, Mayor Gray conducted a press conference about the District’s readiness for this snow season. He noted that contracts are in place to provide construction equipment – 50 bobcats and backhoes, 5 front-end loaders and 35 additional dump trucks – to meet the challenges a 10-inch or more snowfall may present. This includes hauling snow, as well as clearing curb cuts to give pedestrians and people with disabilities better access to the sidewalks.

Having these contracts in place before a heavy snowfall is a lesson learned from the February 2010 snow storms that dumped more than 40 inches of snow on the District. Now, we will not have to compete with the other jurisdictions for this equipment.

In addition to the traditional weapons used to fight a snow storm, we are making greater use of technology to improve our response to the weather.

This year, the 14 zone captains will be equipped with laptops to leverage the vehicle locator system’s capabilities and improve the quality of communications about conditions in real time. They can transmit images to the Snow Command Center to assess the conditions and develop a response. Conversely, the Command Center can initiate a request for images to determine what actions need to be taken.

Removing snow from the streets is just part of the job. District government, through the Department of General Services, has plans for snow and ice removal from our facilities.

The DGS mission is to ensure schools, shelters, public safety entities, recreation centers, parks, and District administrative facilities are able to provide continued government services to District residents with minimal disruption.

The scope of operations for snow and ice removal for DGS includes nearly 800 sites in the District, including DCPS schools and administrative properties; Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) public safety facilities; District municipal buildings; parks and recreation properties; and shelters.

In addition, DGS has 425 facilities management staff that are designated as essential employees who will be deployed as required for any snow event. The staff provides pre-treatment and snow removal services for the District, along with verifications and inspections of work performed by contractors to ensure work is performed as requested and building access following a snow event. And Command Centers are established for major snow events.

What We Need Residents and Others to Do

Knowing the weather forecast is the starting point for government, individuals, families and businesses to successfully plan what they need to do before, during and after a snow storm.

We are fortunate that the media are very attentive to even a hint of snow, and television and radio meteorologists track snow storms meticulously.

Throughout the winter, everyone needs to check the weather at least once a week. That means watch any of our local news stations, listen to the radio or read the daily newspapers.

Next, we need motorists to pay attention to announcements regarding snow emergencies. When a snow emergency is declared, that means significant snow is expected and we need to be able to clear the streets curb-to-curb. We remind motorists that a $250 fine is imposed for parking on a snow emergency route when a snow emergency is in effect and they will be charged tow and impoundment fees.

Finally, I want to ask property owners – residential and commercial – to commit to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours after a storm ends. Walking is the primary means of transportation for our children making their way to school, and many adults prefer walking to work and entertainment venues rather than driving.

snow.dc.gov

I am happy to announce that we launched snow.dc.gov, our new Web site where you can get information to help you plan for snow. There are checklists from the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to guide your planning for winter.

You also will find safety tips for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists.

The site also explains what happens when a snow emergency is declared and lists the streets where parking will be prohibited.

When a snow storm is underway, go to snow.dc.gov to see where the plows are working.

This concludes my testimony. I am happy to respond to your questions. Thank you.