So What Does Everyone Think of Tomorrow's Snow Storm? (Cana: tax return, cost)

[need_more_light]

Originally Posted by reebo

And those homeowners who chose the corner lot--get out there and shovel all the sidewalk you're responsible for.

Not sure where in NoVA you are but at least in Fairfax County, this is what the county website says:


Who is responsible for clearing snow from the sidewalks in my neighborhood?
Neither the state nor the county clears snow and ice from public walkways (sidewalks and trails). While not legally obligated, residents and businesses are asked to help keep sidewalks safe. They should, as soon as feasible, clear snow off the sidewalks in front of their property so that all pedestrians, especially school children, those with disabilities and the elderly, may walk securely. Homeowner associations may require members of their communities to clear walkways abutting their property. Please contact your association or property manager for further information.

FAQs: Snow Removal*- Fairfax County, Virginia


I live in a neighborhood without an HOA but I do shovel my sidewalk and my neighbor's sidewalk (neighbor's house is a rental property and currently vacant). I consider it a good workout .

[Muffy62]

Our sidewalk is on the back of our house and it goes into a dead-end. We probably don't have to shovel since we rarely see anyone walk on it but it is good exercise! The neighbor who has the other half of the same sidewalk never shovels so a walker would have to make it over his part of the sidewalk before getting to our side.

[johnsonkk]

PWC schools are delayed today. Maybe as a result of the heavy dusting of snow last night. Ice? Sidewalks? At least they didn't cancel so today is a five hour day to stave off extending into July.

[car54]

Fairfax was delayed also and it was a good call. But even with the 2 hours, dozens of buses got stuck. Supervisors were very busy taking salt/sand to try to get them unstuck. Many more radio calls from drivers saying they were not going to even attempt going down such and such street. It would have been MUCH worse at 0'Dark:30.


People don't realize some of the places our buses go...it ain't always like out your window throughout the 400 square miles of Fairfax Co.

[mikecart1]

I had almost 1 inch of snow on my car this morning. On top of that all the un-plowed snow in the neighborhood was like concrete today. We should have been given at least 1 hr delay today just as a safety precaution.

[South Jersey Styx]

I guess the snow was reversed this time: we barely got anything over here in Winchester.

Lots of wind tho.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by car54

Fairfax was delayed also and it was a good call. But even with the 2 hours, dozens of buses got stuck. Supervisors were very busy taking salt/sand to try to get them unstuck. Many more radio calls from drivers saying they were not going to even attempt going down such and such street. It would have been MUCH worse at 0'Dark:30.


People don't realize some of the places our buses go...it ain't always like out your window throughout the 400 square miles of Fairfax Co.

I understand that buses have to travel to remote corners of our great county, but I don't understand why if they can't get to every corner they are so quick to shut schools down. You said even today the drivers didn't attempt some routes, yet schools managed to operate. I wish they had a better system in place, whereby they could modify routes based on the weather and keep schools open more often. Parents who choose to live in these areas that buses can't reach can shoulder the responsibility for getting them to school. I don't wish this just for working parent's convenience. I heard on the radio the other day they were talking about how much information kids forget from a missed school day. You're already dealing with 2 straight days on the weekend they aren't at school, it's easy to see how frequently missing days during the week can wreak havoc on their ability to learn.

[car54]

Originally Posted by FCNova

I understand that buses have to travel to remote corners of our great county, but I don't understand why if they can't get to every corner they are so quick to shut schools down. You said even today the drivers didn't attempt some routes, yet schools managed to operate. I wish they had a better system in place, whereby they could modify routes based on the weather and keep schools open more often. Parents who choose to live in these areas that buses can't reach can shoulder the responsibility for getting them to school. I don't wish this just for working parent's convenience. I heard on the radio the other day they were talking about how much information kids forget from a missed school day. You're already dealing with 2 straight days on the weekend they aren't at school, it's easy to see how frequently missing days during the week can wreak havoc on their ability to learn.

No routes were abandoned today (or ever)....just a stop or two on a particular route. Each route can have up to 20+ stops.

I don't see how they could modify routes for the weather...the logistics would be mind boggling There are almost 8,000 routes in the County. How would they even notify all those people (110,000 kids ride buses) in the pre-dawn darkness which bus schedule is in effect?

People love to gripe about being inconvenienced by school closings, but do you think they'd be "understanding" if the wrong call is made and a kid gets hurt? Hell no they wouldn't...they'd want somebody's head on a pike!

They've made the wrong call a few times....on one memorable morning, they ordered an on-time opening. The result: almost 40 bus accidents occurred within thirty minutes.

[johnsonkk]

Appreciate the volume of the effort to move kids from bus stops to school and in reverse. However, with regards to safety, I'm sure there were kids on all the days off from school that got injured while sledding, playing, or driving that might not if they were in school.

If each principal could review their bus routes, then they might be able to.identify the 15% of the routes that might bee impacted by poor roads. Those routes could have those few stops use an alternate plan. You said even in todays icy roads there were only a few impacts. If the authority was pushed down, the overall 8,000 buses wouldn't seem so monstrous.

The Friday after MLK day in PWC schools was after a week off. That day it was.very cold and PWC said to only permit your kids to go to school if they.could travel (or wait for bus) safely. A few students were absent but the.whole school system moved along.

Everyday will have some angry parents but if a school day had 85% of its students, it would difficult to refute.

[car54]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

...If each principal could review their bus routes, then they might be able to.identify the 15% of the routes that might bee impacted by poor roads. Those routes could have those few stops use an alternate plan. You said even in todays icy roads there were only a few impacts. If the authority was pushed down, the overall 8,000 buses wouldn't seem so monstrous.

There are not 8,000 buses....there are close to 8,000 ROUTES served by about 1200 buses. Most buses serve 3 (but sometimes 4, or even 5) schools....often with very little time between them.

You can't leave scheduling up to principals because they only care about THEIR school, not the other 200 some odd schools. We are happy if a school simply releases on time. If one school holds up the buses...those buses are often late to all their subsequent schools.