INDIANAPOLIS — Debra Beaver lives on the east side of Indianapolis. She said her neighborhood rarely gets plowed.
"They don't come through the neighborhood, “ Beaver said.
But thanks to a new program, Beaver should be able to get in and out of her neighborhood a little easier after a big snow.
The Indianapolis Department of Public Works ended their ‘6-inch rule’ this year. The rule required 6 inches or more of snow to fall before DPW could call in contractors to help plow residential areas. The rule was replaced with a new program that involves what’s called ‘connector’ streets.
"They are further into residential areas kind of main roads in residential areas or neighborhoods that connect those roads to primary and secondary streets that we are already plowing,” Hannah Scott-Carter, public information officer with Indianapolis Department of Public Works, said.
Scott-Carter said the new plan allows DPW to get contractors or their own plows onto these feeder streets and give residents access in and out of their neighborhoods.
However, with Monday evening’s storm, it will be quite a while before these connector roads or residential streets of any kind are plowed.
"The primary objective is to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary streets of the city that's about 4,400 lane miles of roads,” Dan Parker, director of Indianapolis Department of Public Works, said. "We will at some point during this snow fight get to our residential connectors… those are over 300 lane miles of street in more residential areas."
DPW plow drivers are working 12-hour shifts through at least Thursday, possibly Friday. For details on when they are going to plow near your house click here.
To see where connector streets are click here.
