What To Know About Snow Removal In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Get out your snow boots and bundle up, because Alexandria could get snow beginning Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Alexandria and the surrounding area from 9 p.m. Tuesday to 9 a.m. Wednesday. Snowfall totals may only get to an inch, but forecasters warn of snow-covered roads and limited visibility.

City of Alexandria crews are out pretreating roads Tuesday ahead of the storm. Here's what you need to know about conditions, traffic and clearing snow in Alexandria.

Who removes the snow in Alexandria?

The city clears snow from 560 lane miles of roadways, 20 miles of publicly owned sidewalks, walkways, and pathways, and 44 acres of municipal parking lots and publicly owned squares. Typically, alleys and non-municipal parking lots are not part of the city's snow removal operations. Download your own copy of Snow and Ice Control information for Alexandria.

Which streets are the first priority when it snows?

Primary roads and snow emergency routes will be cleared first, followed by secondary roads, intermediate roads and residential streets. View this map for snow removal priorities.

• Primary routes are the first priority for plowing and applying materials; they include the major streets and snow emergency routes that run throughout the city and near schools and hospitals. Plow trucks are first assigned to primary routes and then move quickly to secondary routes.
• Secondary routes include local and neighborhood streets and most Metro and DASH bus routes. Plowing of these routes often occurs in tandem with or closely after the plowing of some primary routes. Depending on the severity of the storm, Metro and DASH may offer limited service or temporarily shut down.
• Intermediate routes include any streets requiring special attention in snowy conditions (such as steep hills) that are not currently classified as primary or secondary routes. Intermediate routes also include a few smaller residential streets that are more commercial in use (i.e. service several businesses and/or industrial buildings). Plowing of these routes often occurs in tandem with or closely after the plowing of some secondary routes. Upon completion of intermediate routes, crews will move into residential routes.

What Are snow emergency routes?

Snow emergency routes are posted with red and white signs, and listed in the City Code:

• King Street from Union Street to the western city limit
• Washington Street from city limit to city limit
• Duke Street from Washington Street to the western city limit
• U.S. Route No. 1 from city limit to city limit
• Braddock Road from North West Street to Beauregard Street
• Howard Street from Braddock Road to Jordan Street
• Jordan Street from Duke Street to Howard Street
• Eisenhower Avenue from Holland Lane to Van Dorn Street

How will the snow affect commutes?

The Wednesday morning commute could be slower than usual with the chance of slick roads. Temperatures will only rise to a high of 29 in Alexandria Wednesday. Drivers are urged to slow down and add time to their trips if roads become hazardous.

According to the National Weather Service, "If this threat does materialize during the Wednesday morning rush-hour, many roads could quickly turn icy. This could lead to dangerous traveling conditions, multiple accidents, and extensive delays."

How can I check on the road conditions?

To check on the plowing priority and status of your street and/or submit a concern, use the city's SnowReport tracking system or call 703.746.4357.

Who is responsible for treating walkways and sidewalks?

Owners and tenants are responsible for clearing the sidewalks. During a storm, check www.alexandriava.gov for the storm response level. Failure to clear sidewalks may result in the city having the work done and charging the cost to the property owner, or fining the property owner $50. To report a violation of the sidewalk ordinance, call 703-746-4357.

Residents should also clear ice, snow and leaves from around fire hydrants and storm drains, avoid shoveling snow onto the streets or sidewalks, park cars off the street when possible, and check on elderly neighbors.

Accessible curb ramps, sidewalks and pathways that connect to publicly owned property are cleared by crews from city departments or Alexandria City Public Schools personnel.

The sidewalks are prioritized into three basic groups:

• First priority: School walking areas, accessible curb ramps and sidewalks near key transit stops such as Metro stations, and retail zones.
• Second priority: Walks expanding out from schools, parks, and municipal locations.
• Third priority: Trails, pathways internal to parks, and bike paths. (The Mount Vernon Trail is maintained by the National Park Service and is not plowed during snow events).

During less severe storms, priorities include schools and accessible curb ramps in heavily used pedestrian areas, particularly near major transit stops and retail zones along King Street (Commonwealth Avenue to Union Street) and Mount Vernon Avenue (East Glendale Avenue to Four Mile Road).

Image via Patch editor Emily Leayman