Calls for review of I-90 traffic jam

The main problem with this is that WI is NOT proactive but reactive when it comes to snow storms .... that stretch this happened on is also the same stretch where there was the 100 car pileup about a month ago

They were pulling plows off the road all day when I came thru that .... they knew their were a lot of cars on the road and left the weather to win

They also had a couple day warning that it was coming and yet waited to the last second before doing anything

This samething happens every year and every snow storm

 

What were they supposed to do, send out plows 2 days in advance of the snow actually falling? Besides, the weather forcasters totaly underestimated the amount of snow that was to fall.

Not picking a fight here, but my opinion is when we get 20 inches of snow in very windy conditions, it might be best to get off the road, instead of get stuck and blame the government.

And yes, that is the same stretch were the 100 car pileup happened last month. I think maybe it's time for Wisconsin to take the Kaliphornia style approach, and just pass a law against snowstorms and foggy conditions. If mother nature does not comply with said legislation, the the state will simpley sue her. Problem solved.....

 

The main thing that I was saying about WI is that they are not proactive but reactive

It doesnt matter how much snow or wind .... its the samething every year when it comes to snow

They are not out there when they need to be .... they wait till there are 100's of cars in the ditch then go "ooops maybe we should work"

 

I personaly admit I dont quite know what proactive measure could have been taken, to prevent 2000+ vehilces stranded in a blizzard that dumped 20 inches of snow, without creating other problematic issues further adding to the motoring publics difficulties in travel .

Enlighten us to the proactive measures that could have eliminated this quandry.

 

As a driver who was unlucky enough to spend time in their state, my thoughts are:

1. Salt trucks that are putting down salt. Most only put down sand.
2. Visible salt trucks. Only saw 1 during the night before. None during the event and 3 after I left on Thurs am.
3. Their website was not updated very often. The phone number was not updated but twice during the day. When the road was actually closed, neither reflected the change.

In all reality, it appeared to the many of us that were stranded, that they had little interest in the problem. In fact, I never saw any National guard vehicles. The news reports that the truck stop was getting only indicated about 200 stranded trucks.

 

Doesn't this fall under the driver is captain of his/her truck. Everybody knew the weather was coming and about when it would get there. Most of those trucks should have been parked waiting out the storm.

Remember the government is not there to take care you. You are responsible for your own self.

Mark

 

The weather was only calling for 3-5 inches when I stopped for the night.

The road only had an inch on it and it had been snowing for several hours. I met only one plow.

The next morning, I tried to go out. The 26 miles I drove was the slickest I had ever seen. There were no plows out. Trucks and cars hitting the walls. Most of them were in the fast lane and thought they could stop on a dime.

Yes, I parked when it was unsafe.

However, since the website and the road number did not have updated info, you should have heard all of the calls the drivers were making and receiving from their dispatchers, telling them to get moving. They thought the drivers were making it up.

 

That is why we as drivers make the final call.

Mark

 

In snow, salt is nowhere near as useful as sand is. Salt works on ice, but this was snowfall, not icing conditions. Unless the roads have already been scraped bare of snow, salt is just wasted when it is dumped on snow.

If the traffic is heavy, it's almost impossible for the plow trucks to be effective on a multilane highway. They have to run together to move all the snow off the road in one shot, and Wisconsin has always had the idea that it is best to wait until the storm lessens and then attack the problem. I'm not sure that is always the best solution, but it has clearly been their policy for a long period of time to work that way.

The Governor is just looking for a CYA political solution. The state people did as they were supposed to. If a place receives 20 inches of snow, the roads should be shut down. There is no logical reason why anyone should be out there trying to drive on 20 inch deep roadways. I have little sympathy for anyone who got caught out on that road, since they could see the storm was coming. And it was only about a 12 hour wait at the worst, not like they were stranded for days on end.

The governor needs to tell his motorists not to be such crybabies.