Blizzard 2016: Report for Tuesday Morning in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The City of Alexandria reports Tuesday morning that it continues to make good progress following a storm that dumped 1.5 typical years of snow in 36 hours.

• City offices are closed Tuesday and there will be no trash pickup Tuesday.
• The City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 26, has been cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Docket items may be considered at future meetings. The City Council meeting originally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23, has been continued to Saturday, Jan. 30, at 9:30 a.m., at City Hall.
• In-person absentee voting will be available Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 132 N. Royal St. You may also register to vote and apply for an absentee ballot online at http://elections.virginia.gov/

Sidewalks: Sidewalks are the responsibility of adjacent property owners, so we need everyone to clear all sidewalks, City spokesman Craig Fifer said. In particular, we ask neighbors to focus on fire hydrants, storm drains, and school bus stops. One of the factors ACPS takes into consideration when deciding whether to open is the condition of students’ routes to bus stops and the condition of the stops themselves.

Primary and secondary roads: As of 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, crews reported that all primary and secondary routes were passable to emergency vehicles. “ We know we’ve missed some, and we encourage reports at www.alexandriavagov/SnowReport or 703.746.HELP,” Fifer said. “We are not taking reports for residential streets yet, because we know we still have about 40 percent left to make passable. Keep in mind that the first pass may only establish one snowy lane, and we will return over the next few days to improve access. We hope to make all streets passable by late tonight.”

Shoveling: Residents who need help shoveling should call neighbors, friends, or contractors. We ask everyone to check on neighbors and friends who may be in need.

More on roads: As of Tuesday morning at 7 a.m., all primary and secondary routes are passable for emergency vehicles; the City reports that 60 percent of residential streets are also passable.

“We have been able to lift the snow emergency route parking restrictions and the taxi surcharge,” Fifer said.

“Our goal is to reach all streets by tonight,” Fifer said in an update. “After every street is passable, we will return to widen travel and turn lanes and improve intersections.”

How the public can help: “We ask the public for their continued cooperation by not driving or walking on snow-covered roads, and clearing fire hydrants,” he noted. “It would also be helpful to clear school bus stops for the safety of students once schools reopen.”

To report an impassable secondary route, please visit the City’s Snow Report page or call 703-764-HELP.

PHOTO: Screen grab from City video