Politics & Government
Skokie Plowed 10,600 Miles Of Road To Clear Snow
A behind-the-scenes look at how 69 brave employees worked 16-hour shifts to clear snow from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2. Some of these facts and figures are staggering.
It was difficult driving around Skokie on New Year's Eve--and it only got worse the next two days, as the snow kept falling almost continuously.
On Facebook, Patch readers praised the job Village of Skokie crews did clearing those huge amounts of snow.
Here's an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how they did it. Ann Tennes, Skokie's director of marketing and communications, answered our questions about how the village used heavy machinery, road salt and human beings, who gave up their holiday, to battle the forces of winter.
How much salt (or salt equivalent) has Skokie used?
645 tons.
How much salt remains?
1,200 tons still in the dome, 1,000 tons on its way, with the ability to order up to another 1,550 tons without any issues, so 3,750 remains if needed
How many miles of road have been plowed (and how many times since Dec. 31)?
The entire Village was plowed 13 times, totaling about 10,640 miles.
During the Dec. 31-Jan. 2 snowfall, how many drivers were working?
69 employees were plowing and salting
Did they work around the clock, or in shifts, or how exactly?
They worked in shifts. Some were 12 hours, others 16 hours
Could you give me more details? For example, if they had to sleep on a cot someplace, or missed New Years with their families.
No one had to sleep on cots, but several employees missed New Years Eve and New Years Day with their families
How much money has Skokie budgeted for salt this year, and how much remains?
$197,600 was budgeted for salt, and we have used $167,000. The Village had plenty of salt leftover from last season; we are still in good shape.
How much money has Skokie budgeted for plowing this year, and how much remains?
Still being analyzed - data not available
How does this (the expenses for salt and plowing) compare to last year--or to a typical year?
Total costs are still being calculated, but we have recorded 10 events this year and had only four by the same time last year. Last year we had (unofficially) recorded about 4" at this point in the season, while this year we have had about 32". We also had used 800 tons of salt this point last year compared to 1,943 tons this season.
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