Richmonders beg 311 to fix unplowed, icy neighborhood roads
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Requests for snow and ice removal as of Friday. Image: Courtesy Richmond 311
Richmonders have logged scores of 311 requests for ice and snow removal on city streets and sidewalks in the last week.
Why it matters: The volume of requests underscores locals' mounting frustration over impassable, ice-covered streets, days after the storm has passed.
The big picture: Early last week, Richmond Public Works said it hoped to have all neighborhood streets in the city treated by Thursday, WWBT reported. Instead, it got to about half of them, per the city's Instagram account.
- On Saturday, Mayor Avula said it would take a few more days, possibly until Tuesday or beyond, to get to them all, The Richmonder reported.
- Unlike its northern neighbors in D.C. and Baltimore, Richmond's 311 website doesn't give residents an option to request snow removal, but that hasn't stopped Richmonders.
Zoom in: The requests started trickling in last Monday — filed mostly as a "road safety concern," but in some cases filed under a request for road and sidewalk repair or private property maintenance issue, per an Axios review of the requests.
- By Friday afternoon, they were coming in at a rate of five or more an hour.
"All my neighbors are outside with ax picks and shovels ... please provide some assistance," read one request from South Richmond.
- "How long before my eyes land on you doing something helpful for our neighborhood roads ... we are struggling here," read another, in Westlake Hills.
- "The only pedestrian sidewalk to the GRTC stops for Rocketts Landing is completely covered in a foot of ice and snow," said a cry for help from the East End.
- "WE ARE TRAPPED AT HOME. NEED FOOD," someone from Northside wrote.
- "Care workers can't get to my 97-year-old father in hospice," read a request from the Fan. "DO SOMETHING!"
The intrigue: The requests came from every corner of the city, but nearly half — 45% — were filed for zip code 23225, which includes Forest Hill, Westover Hills, Woodland Heights and Stratford Hills in South Richmond, per an Axios review.
That's not a surprise to Fourth District Councilwoman Sarah Abubaker, whose district includes most of 23225.
- Her office has been flooded with calls from residents looking for help and she's been pushing DPW for answers, she tells Axios.
- The Fourth, she learned, has some unique challenges, like steep and hilly terrain and an abundance of trees that keep streets shaded.
- "DPW even refers to our area as 'the Hills,'" she added.
Friction point: Without an official option in the 311 system, it's unclear if residents can count on the request to be serviced.
- "We'll do our best to transition them to applicable departments," city spokesperson Ross Catrow said in a statement.
Zoom out: The neighborhood road situations don't seem to be much better in Henrico or Chesterfield, per social media posts.
- Transportation officials there (VDOT for Chesterfield and Henrico Public Works) said late last week that the sustained below-freezing temperatures on top of thick ice have made it take longer than expected to clear neighborhood roads.
- But work and round-the-clock street treating shifts will continue until it's done, say VDOT, Henrico and the city.