Gaithersburg Recycling Delayed; Offices Closed (Update)

Updated at 4:20 p.m.

GAITHERSBURG, MD — City officials are asking residents to be patient as road crews work around the clock to plow streets, and urge people to stay home on Sunday.

The National Weather Service says Gaithersburg received 27 inches of snow.

The city remains closed on Sunday and on Monday, January 25. Residents are still asked to refrain from venturing out so that snow removal crews can continue their efforts.

Recycling is suspended through at least Tuesday. When makeup dates have been determined, the information will be posted on the city’s website.

The status of City facilities, events and activities and other snow removal information, including a statement from the Mayor and City Manager regarding cleanup efforts, can be found on the City’s website atwww.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Recycling will suspended through at least Tuesday, January 26. Regular updates are posted on the city website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Here’s the message from Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman and City Manager Tony Tomasello:

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.

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, 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, call 911. Otherwise, report downed trees on public roads and property as follows:

• Gaithersburg residents should call the Department of Public Works 301-258-6370 during business hours, Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. After hours, e-mail publicworks@gaithersburgmd.gov.
• Montgomery County residents call 311 (240-777-0311 from a cell phone) or file a report at www.MC311.com