Lansdale A 'War Zone' As Neighborhoods Remain Unplowed

LANSDALE, PA -- In the wake of over two feet of snow getting dumped on the Lansdale area - up to 27 inches, by some measurements - residents expressed frustration that many neighborhoods had not yet seen a plow.

Alleyways are typically not a priority for plows as they seek to clear the most frequently used roads first.

Several neighborhoods that had been plowed were still difficult to pass through Monday morning. Sharp turns and uphills posed the most serious problems, especially for average, non-4 wheel drive vehicles.

Some areas of the borough are much worse than others. One resident said that nothing in sight had been plowed.

Residents of Upper Gwynedd, Sugar Valley, Harleysville, Souderton, side streets around Lansdale, and several other areas said on Sunday night that they were still snowed in.

Derek Fickert, an Upper Gwynedd resident, said municipal planning had failed.

“What plowing? Upper gwynedd has not touched our neighborhood since the storm started,”he said. “I can’t leave a message or get a hold of anyone. Having a very pregnant wife with medical concerns and no way to the main roads is not a good thing. One time through the neighborhood would be nice.”

One resident went as far as to describe certain neighborhoods as a “war zone,” saying that taxes should be raised to address the issue.

‘”Ward 2-1, 2-2 in Lansdale still looks like a war zone,” said Bryan Schmidt. “I work in the trash business and understand what it takes to get down every street to service customers. I don’t blame the plow guys, I’m sure they are doing the best they can. Every other ward I’ve been in today the streets are passable with a car. If we can’t afford to have the manpower and resources available to make our streets passable, I have no problem with raising taxes to make that happen, as long as we aren’t continuing to waste money all the time.”

Crews said they were working as diligently as possible to remove the snow, but there is no timetable.

Many roads had only been plowed widely enough for one car to pass through at a time.

To report an unplowed street, do not call 911. Contact your borough or township directly.