Road Commission Promises Changes After This Week's Snow Storm

Changes are coming, managers of the Road Commission for Oakland County promised Thursday, in the wake of the commission's much-criticized response to this week's snow storm and icy road conditions.

While managers said weather conditions made icy roads unavoidable, the commission's incoming chairman pressed them to do more to avoid a repeat.

Sunday, about 7 inches of snow fell on the area and a rapid drop in temperatures led to the icy roads that night and Monday, managers said, even as crews tried to clear the county's snowfall. Schools were closed Monday and Tuesday in most parts of the county while drivers dodged fish tails and spinouts.

Though the Commission doesn't maintain every road in Oakland County, it is responsible for more than 2,700 miles of roadway and 230 miles of state highways. It is the second largest road maintenance organization in the state, second only to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Finding solutions

While not a formal agenda item, this winter's first major storm dominated discussion at Thursday's monthly Road Commission meeting at its administrative office in Beverly Hills. The Commission reported receiving roughly 600 incident reports related to the storm and about 800 calls, many from irate motorists. There were no reports of storm-related fatalities.

"We were out doing what we could," said Darryl Heid, director of highway maintenance for the Road Commission for Oakland County. "The thing that really hurt us was the low, low temperatures," which caused snow and slush to turn to ice.

Because of that, the county Road Commission will change its salting policy, Deputy Managing Director Dennis Kolar said. The Commission will now keep spreading road salt in temperatures down to 15 degrees, Kolar said, ending its normal 20-degree cutoff.

"The Southfield district tried it and things appeared to be somewhat better there," Kolar noted. He cautioned, however, that road salt is only fully effective in temperatures above 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

While traction-improving sand is used to supplement road salt in rural areas, it generally isn't used in more developed portions of the county because it clogs storm sewers.

Staff also needs to draft an "action plan" by next month to secure additional drivers during major snowfalls, incoming Road Commission Chairman Eric Wilson said.

"We can say it was the weather, but the public just won't accept that," said Wilson, a Lake Orion resident who called himself "one of those stuck for four hours on I-75" during the storm's aftermath.

In a news release last month, the Road Commission warned it would have fewer staffers to drive and maintain the snow plows/salt trucks because of declining state road funding, meaning winter storm cleanups will take longer than in past years.

Clawson helps county

Officials in Clawson say the city's plow trucks were able to keep their streets clear once the winter storm hit between Sunday and Monday morning. However, Oakland County roads remained hazardous even after the county's trucks had plowed through, said Harry Drinkwine, director of the Clawson Department of Public Works.

"It was noticeable that there was an issue," Drinkwine said.

Drinkwine said the department received dozens of calls from both upset motorists and drivers from surrounding communities commending the city's plowing efforts.

Oakland County roads including Crooks Road (between 14 Mile Road and Maple Road); Rochester Road (between 14 Mile and Elmwood) and 14 Mile Road (between Rochester Road and Campbell) all required additional plowing when the county trucks finished.

Drinkwine said the city of Clawson sent their trucks out to county roads because they were such a safety hazard to drivers. Luckily, the city had enough resources to cover for the county, he said. Clawson has seven plow trucks.

"Clawson roads are always the best," said Sharon Cotter, of Clawson. "But once you hit Maple Road (in Troy), it was like the plowing stopped."

County cuts

This year, the Road Commission cut back on its "second shift" drivers, reducing the crew of 84 roughly in half, due to budget constraints. The second shift conducts clean up work after the first 16-hour shift is completed.

The road commission might consider using tri-party road funds pay for temporary drivers, spokesman Craig Bryson said Thursday, while noting it isn't yet clear whether that would be sufficient or even possible.

Adding to this week's problem, staffers said at Thursday's meeting, was that up to 25 percent of the commission's estimated 130-truck fleet was out of commission at times during the storm. "That's not unusual," Kolar said. "It's a rough business."

New trucks cost about $200,000 each, Road Commission Managing Director Brent Bair said. Buying five new trucks, at about $1 million, "wouldn't have made much difference" in this week's storm, Bair added.

Road commissioners hastened to add that, in today's tough budgets, they don't have money for any new trucks.

Local budget cuts

Drinkwine said the city won't make a habit of plowing and salting roads the county is responsible for unless drivers are at risk.

"We are not compensated" for county roads, Drinkwine said. He said the city puts forth cooperative efforts to "help service the residents."

Though the Public Works department remained financially stable this year, Drinkwine said he anticipates budget cuts next year, which could potentially affect their services.

Clawson Local Editor Nicquel Terry contributed to this report.