Fairfax County officials are pressing VDOT for answers after poor snow removal left residents frustrated and unsafe on the roads
Fairfax County: The county is really pushing for accountability from VDOT after residents complained about the snow removal. It seems like the service just wasn’t cutting it this time.
Jimmy Bierman, the Dranesville District Supervisor, mentioned that his office got flooded with calls from unhappy residents. People were frustrated, and it was clear something needed to change.
Michael and Stephanie Jackson from Annandale even reached out to the news after seeing how bad things were. Stephanie said she was watching the news while cooking and thought, “Hey, I need to call Channel 9!”
It took six days after the storm for a plow to finally show up on their street. That’s just too long, right? The Board of Supervisors decided to take action and voted to ask VDOT for a full review of what went wrong.
They want to know how VDOT checked on its contractors and if the roads were really cleared properly. They’re also looking for a plan to improve things for future snow events.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity stressed the need for better “aftercare” to keep roads safe after plowing. Just because a plow went by doesn’t mean the roads are safe, and some areas were still icy.
The Board is also asking VDOT to rethink what “passable” really means. Many residents felt that their roads were far from safe, and that’s a big issue.
VDOT did respond, saying they’re aware of the concerns and are reviewing the situation. They’re working with local partners to improve things.
While VDOT handles most of the snow removal, Bierman mentioned that the county will keep pushing for better service. When asked if they’d consider taking over snow removal, opinions varied among the supervisors.
Bierman said it’s not on the table right now due to costs, but Herrity thinks it’s worth revisiting. He believes that if local government takes over, they might get better results.
