INDIANAPOLIS — If the road in your neighborhood still isn’t plowed from the snowstorm, chances are you might not be alone.
Tonight, city leaders are coming together to discuss DPW’s response to the snow and snow removal. It’s all a part of the City Council’s Public Works Committee.
“I would like to see them out. I see them out here doing surveys when the weather is nice. It would be nice if they could do one sweep, it would do wonders,” Richard Craig said.
Craig, a southside resident, claims his street hasn’t been plowed since the big January snowstorm.
WATCH | Indianapolis tow truck drivers help those who are stranded after winter storm
“My grandfather is in the hospital right now and there have been some days where I haven’t been able to go see him because we can’t get out of our driveway,” Samantha Hurley said.
In 2020, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works said the city switched from its six-inch rule to a connector street strategy.
Indy DPW tells WRTV that because of the policy change, the department is now equipped to address more roadways, including 300+ centerline miles in what is now known as connector streets, during every snow event.
“We have to see a change. We have to see something where residential streets get plowed,” City-County Councilor Joshua Bain, (R, district 21) said.
Indy DPW tells WRTV that before 2020, the majority of recent snow events did not break the six-inch threshold and therefore did not allow for expanded plow routes.
“Bring forth those questions that we have heard as councilors as we represent those districts and see if we can get some solutions,” Kristin Jones, (D) Chair of the Council's Public Works Committee, said.
Indianapolis Department of Public Works sent WRTV the following statement on the snow removal:
In the previous five years before the policy change, the “six-inch” threshold for activating contractors had not been met. In the last 10 years, the only time contractors have been called out to address residential streets was Feb. 2021 – under the new snow response policy.
