plowing in subdivisions (Denver, Grand Junction, Gunnison: apartment, HOA, homes)

[cl723]

Do they plow the roads around the subdivisions in Denver? They don`t here on the Western Slope and it is an ice skating rink for months. It`s ridiculous.The cities are more worried about the sidewalks being clear than a road were people have to drive on. My sil lives in Montana and they always do there subdivision areas.

[dtnach]

we moved here from nj and i cannot beleive how they do not plow the streets here in highlands ranch. common sidewalks are not plowed either in our subdivision. if there was an inch of snow in nj, they would plow and come back during the day to plow again. still, the lack of plowing has been my only complaint here. we do love it!

[CosmicWizard]

cl723 wrote:

Do they plow the roads around the subdivisions in Denver? They don`t here on the Western Slope and it is an ice skating rink for months. It`s ridiculous.The cities are more worried about the sidewalks being clear than a road were people have to drive on. My sil lives in Montana and they always do there subdivision areas.

Sounds like you live in Grand Junction! The street I live on could be ice/snow covered for months.....but I shoveled my driveway yesterday and it's completely clear. It gives me a small section of dry pavement to get up a head of steam to make it up the hill to the main road thru the subdivision.

[jazzlover]

Here's a sage piece of advice from a long-time native Coloradan--get used to it. The roads today are plowed far more extensively than they used to be, but that level of maintenance is not going to be sustainable as time goes on. There just is not going to be enough revenue for the various public road departments to maintain today's level of service--even if some people perceive that as inadequate.

Personally, I think people have just "gone soft." Years back, most mountain towns (and elsewhere in
Colorado, too) did absolutely minimum plowing on city streets beyond what was absolutely necessary. Main arterial highways would be plowed and that was about it. The sidestreets would be snowpacked for months. Everyone just learned to cope with driving on that--with automobiles then that did not have all of the fancy traction-adding devices, automated braking systems, etc. that are found on cars today. 4WD's were pretty scarce and generally owned by people who actually needed them for other purposes. Somehow, society in those towns survived.

The same went for state and US highways. Plowing was done, but sand was a luxury only used when absolutely necessary. Nobody had heard of using mag chloride. Again, we all managed to get around with those same less than fancy cars.

In many ways, I think the roads were in some respects safer then than now--not because the roads themselves or autos were safer (they weren't)--but because people had better driving skills for adverse conditions and because they tended to be less impatient and more cautious.

I was lucky. I learned adverse winter driving skill from a father who drove Colorado roads for nearly a half-century without a weather-related accident. All but a few years of his winter driving was in a rear-wheel-drive car--and he never owned a set of snow tires for them. Point is, you can either accept and learn to deal with driving conditions that Mother Nature presents, or you can constantly wait for the "gubmint" (at very substantial expense) to create a dry road in winter. I've always tended toward the self-reliant, self-help concept.

[CosmicWizard]

jazzlover wrote:

In many ways, I think the roads were in some respects safer then than now--not because the roads themselves or autos were safer (they weren't)--but because people had better driving skills for adverse conditions and because they tended to be less impatient and more cautious.

Amen, especially in regard to the portion of your quote that I made bold.

The minimal ( as I perceive it to be ) plowing in Grand junction doesn't really bother me. If/when it snows, I leave my car in the garage and ride the bus to and from work ( yeah I'm now a non-participant when it comes to driving on snow covered roads ). I walk a minimum of 3 miles a day rain or shine, hot or cold, wet or dry every day of the year. Walking to and from the bus stop on both ends of the route gives me my daily mileage and a bit extra to boot. Twas a bit chilly out there this morning. I walked the final mile and a half into work with the temp sitting at -6. But that wasn't too bad. I've walked much greater distances in much colder conditions many times in the past. This mornining was a relative piece-of-cake compared to walking along the Yellowhead highway thru the Rocky Mountain trench ( wind tunnel! ) near McBride-British Columbia. That place was as cold as Gunnison, with much more wind, and not nearly as sunny. But those conditions made it ideal for getting quick rides hitch hiking. Rarely ever did the first car to come by fail to stop and offer me a ride...sometimes I wasn't even flashing my thumb.

In regard to people of yore having better driving skills in adverse conditions....I think that is just in your imagination. I cannot recall ANY time when people drove really well in adverse driving conditions. Unless you live in a place where the roads are snow covered for months on end you just don't get enough practice to become competent in those conditions. In a place like Grand Junction where the main roads are rarely ever covered in snow for more than a few hours, most of the local residents drive extremely poor on snow covered roads...IMO...compared to other places I've lived.

[chilaili]

I'm lucky in that my HOA contracts a couple of guys to go out and shovel/plow when it snows so whilst we have some bad conditions for a few hours, it usually gets cleared away. The only downside is they start clearing the walking paths around the buildings at 4am , but I'm so thankful somebody is doing it!

I do remember arguing with my local city council a couple of years ago about them not plowing the road I lived on then. Their point was that it was a private road belonging to the apartment company. MY point was, that was utterly stupid as there were dozens of private homes along that road, but they still didn't send anyone out.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

In regard to people of yore having better driving skills in adverse conditions....I think that is just in your imagination. I cannot recall ANY time when people drove really well in adverse driving conditions. Unless you live in a place where the roads are snow covered for months on end you just don't get enough practice to become competent in those conditions. In a place like Grand Junction where the main roads are rarely ever covered in snow for more than a few hours, most of the local residents drive extremely poor on snow covered roads...IMO...compared to other places I've lived.

Back when, I think peoples' expectations were different. If a winter storm came along, the assumption was that the road conditions WOULD be bad, and people planned accordingly. Today, people seem to have the expectation that constant plowing, copious applications of mag chloride, marvelous vehicle technology and the like can ameliorate the effects of any winter storm. That's patently false, but that seems to be the expectation.

As a current example, most Coloradans (especially the newbies) don't know what a winter survival kit is for one's vehicle (space blanket, drinking water, candle, small shovel, etc., etc.) because they don't have the expectation of ever needing to use one. When I lived in Wyoming, just about everybody living there knew what a winter survival kit was, and most people kept one in their vehicle all winter. I did. We all anticipated the potential need to have to use what was in that kit if stranded in a winter storm, and so with us it went when traveling.

[CosmicWizard]

jazzlover wrote:

Back when, I think peoples' expectations were different. If a winter storm came along, the assumption was that the road conditions WOULD be bad, and people planned accordingly.

I still think that way. An attitude like that is common sense to me, but my wife and her friends accuse me of negative thinking and expecting the worst.

In my earlier post I wrote that I leave my car in the garage and take the bus when the roads are covered in snow. Some of my co-workers feel sorry for me because I ride the bus. I tell them that riding the bus a half dozen times a year is somewhat of an adventure to me because it affords a break in my daily routine.

[karpiel]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

As a current example, most Coloradans (especially the newbies) don't know what a winter survival kit is for one's vehicle (space blanket, drinking water, candle, small shovel, etc., etc.) because they don't have the expectation of ever needing to use one. When I lived in Wyoming, just about everybody living there knew what a winter survival kit was, and most people kept one in their vehicle all winter. I did. We all anticipated the potential need to have to use what was in that kit if stranded in a winter storm, and so with us it went when traveling.

Funny how stupid most people are, isn't it?

First thing I did when I moved to Gilpin County 3 years ago is get a good set of snows, buy a better shovel, put an old down bag in the car etc.

It also blows my mind how many people under dress. I always wear clothing that would keep me comfortably warm sitting at the side of the road for hours. That allows me to drive with the windows slightly open so nothing ever fogs up and snow doesn't melt and stick while driving, no need for the wipers.

[CosmicWizard]

karpiel wrote:

Funny how stupid most people are, isn't it?

I don't think it's a matter of stupidity, but rather that people are pre-occupied with their stress filled lives and they simply don't think straight.