Hello Neighbors,
Below is the latest information from the City of Gaithersburg regarding current plowing and snow clean up efforts. Stay patient, and stay safe. They will come!
Thank you,
Glenn Watts
Board of Directors, Washingtonian Woods HOA
City of Gaithersburg Press Release
Contact: Britta Monaco, Public Information Director
City of Gaithersburg
301-258-6310 x2111
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
Gaithersburg Mayor and City Manager Urge Patience as Cleanup Continues
January 25, 2016 – Gaithersburg, MD. A message from Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman and City Manager Tony Tomasello to the residents of Gaithersburg:
Each and every one of you deserves our thanks for the patience you are showing during this epic snowstorm, which ranks amongst the most extreme this area has ever seen. We know that you are enduring many challenges and we appreciate the spirit of cooperation as the community joins together to get through this.
Please join us in extending a very sincere “thank you” to our City staff. Crews from our Public Works and Police Departments, along with other City staff, are continuing to work around the clock, sacrificing their own personal needs to clear our roads and ensure our safety.
We ask for your patience and cooperation as cleanup continues throughout the week. Thankfully the snow has stopped and the sun is shining. But the cleanup effort will be a long one in the face of 30+ inches of snow.
Please do not attempt to travel. Our crews are doing an admirable job clearing main roads, which remains their primary focus, but many of the streets in our community that are maintained by other jurisdictions may not be passable. We’ve heard several reports of people attempting to drive, only to have their vehicles get stuck. Please stay off the roads so that crews can do their jobs more efficiently. Once the main roads are cleared, our City crews will turn their attention to our neighborhoods.
A snow emergency remains in effect. It is imperative that all cars remain off of Snow Emergency Routes and cul-de-sacs and that residents refrain from double parking along windrows created by the plows. We must be able to create travel lanes wide enough for emergency vehicle access. Safety is paramount.
While plowing or “pushing” snow is usually the quickest way to clear roadways, we’re quickly running out of places to put the snow. In some cases, lane widths will have to be reduced, with the goal of ensuring that there is at least one travel lane for access in and out of all communities.
Townhome communities and those with cul-de-sacs are the most challenging and will take us the longest to address. They are the tightest areas for plowing. As a result, many are already down to one lane. Our effort to clear these communities can be hindered by residents clearing snow from their walkways and cars and putting it back into the roadway. While we know you are running out of places to pile the snow, please do not put it back into the street. It might result in us not being able to provide any access to your community at all.
Sidewalk clearing is important, and you are responsible for clearing all sidewalks around your property. With car travel difficult, there will likely be more pedestrians on the streets, and eventually the children will return to school and will need sidewalks for safe passage. It would be best to focus on clearing only a narrow path, putting the snow in your yard or on top of the windrows that have already been created by our snow plows. These windrows will eventually be cleared. Also remember to uncover any fire hydrants so that they are visible from the street.
Once main roads are deemed passable we will start loading and hauling snow out of residential areas. We will place high priorities on areas where access has been most limited, which includes many of our townhome communities. This is a long and tedious process, but crews will literally be working around the clock until all communities can be accessed.
The City remains closed on Sunday, January 25. A decision will be made early Sunday evening with regards to the City’s status on January 26. Recycling will suspended through at least Tuesday, January 27. Regular updates are posted on our website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Residents are urged to check the site frequently. The emergency information also includes helpful links, including one to Montgomery County Government for additional information about shelters, emergency preparedness and more.
Thank you again for all that you have done and will be doing to ensure your own safety and that of your neighbors. It is exactly this type of community spirit that makes Gaithersburg such a wonderful place to live.
Resource Information:
Residents are also urged to register for Alert Gaithersburg, an emergency notification system that delivers messages simultaneously to multiple devices. Sign up at www.gaithersburgmd.gov/alerts.
Power Outages should be reported directly to your local power company. If traffic signals are out, please remember to treat the intersection as a four way stop.
PEPCO: 1-877-737-2662 www.pepco.com
BG&E: 1-877-778-2222 www.bge.com
Potomac Edison: 1-888-544-4877 www.firstenergycorp.com
If a tree is down and live wires are involved, the tree is blocking a roadway, is on a structure, or someone is trapped, please call 911. Otherwise, please report downed trees on public roads and property as follows:
Gaithersburg residents call the Department of Public Works 301-258-6370 during business hours, Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. After hours please e-mail [email protected].
Montgomery County residents call 311 (240-777-0311 from a cell phone) or file a report at www.MC311.com
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