Snow Summit: Virginia Department of Transportation

Fairfax County Snow Summit March 16, 2010 Morteza Salehi , Northern Virginia District Administrator Branco Vlacich , Assistant District Administrator for Maintenance Renée Hamilton , Assistant District Administrator

BRIEF OVERVIEW
VDOT ROADS AND RESOURCES
VDOT ROAD PRIORITIES
HOW NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ASSIGNED AND PLOWED
COMMUNICATING WITH VDOT DURING AND AFTER
LESSONS LEARNED
AGENDA

Accurate, timely weather forecasting for each county through a customized contract with Meridian
Development and implementation of detailed mobilization plans
Number and types of equipment needed based on forecast
Anti-icing (pre-treating) critical locations
Incident command at McConnell PSTOC
24/7/365 command-and-control structure with duty officers
Situational awareness
Inter-agency coordination with Virginia State Police, Fairfax County Police, Fire and Rescue, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Maryland State Highway Administration, etc.
Co-location of Customer Service Center at MPSTOC
(703) 383-VDOT; direct assignment to responsible staff
About 135 calls on a non-snow day; about 300 calls/day for a typical 6-inch storm; 34,000 calls for February snowstorms
Improvements to VDOT’s Snow Program in Recent Years

February 2010 Storms
Historic snowfall
More than 45 inches of snow
about 6 inches Jan. 29
over 34 inches on Feb. 5-6
about 5 inches on Feb. 10-11
low temperatures during and after the event
2,200 pieces of equipment, including over 200 pieces of heavy equipment from other VDOT areas and 300 from out of state and other sources
By comparison: Blizzard of 1996 left 38 inches of snow; had 960 pieces of equipment
Meeting the challenges of interstates and high-volume roads
17,000+ lane miles of interstates, primary, secondary, and residential streets (8,000+ lane miles in Fairfax County)
Change in nature of operation—loading/hauling in addition to plowing on the Beltway, I-95/I-395, I-66, HOV lanes and gates

Challenges (After-Action Reviews)
Improving contract management
Improve oversight, accountability, and training, including monitoring of progress
Explore feasibility of increased use of automatic vehicle locator (AVL) technology
Examine the possibility of using county support staff and others for improved monitoring and performance
Communication
Examine ways to better communicate priorities and what residents can expect
Explore ways to gather timely and accurate information about the status of operations and share with the public
Examine ways to enhance communication with state, local, and community leaders

VDOT Roads in Northern Virginia
VDOT is responsible for Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun and Arlington (except secondary roads) counties and I-66 from D.C. to Front Royal
17,679 lane miles
8,930 interstates
8,749 major routes
and neighborhood streets
Loudoun Prince William Fairfax Arlington

17,000 Lane Miles Equals . . . 6 Trips Across the Continental U.S.

About the 2009-2010 Winter
VDOT crews have mobilized 19 times since November
Dec. 17-24 16-21 inches
Jan. 28-Feb. 4 8-14 inches
Feb. 4-14 18-36 inches
Sustained below-freezing temperatures
Repeated thaw and refreeze left many roads rutted, but passable. (Southland Avenue, Fairfax)

Heavy snowfall required front loaders/dump trucks to load and haul snow from the Beltway, I-95/395 HOV, I-66 “X” lanes, some major intersections
In February, VDOT pushed, moved or hauled 20 million tons of snow from roads in northern Virginia
About the 2009-2010 Winter Where concrete barriers prevented piling, snow had to be loaded from the Beltway, I-95/395 HOV lanes and I-66 “X” lanes (above). Some snow was placed under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (right).

About the 2009-2010 Winter
Widespread power outages, hundreds of downed trees
Snow drifts up to 14 feet (Loudoun County)
VDOT assisted emergency responders and utility crews throughout the storms. Crews helped dislodge this Dominion Power truck, stranded in a 14-foot-high snowdrift in Loudoun County.

Before the Storm
Forecast review with National Weather Service and Meridian (VDOT’s on-call weather service)
District-wide conference call to discuss mobilization plan
Pre-treating (anti-icing) critical locations 1-2 days prior
500 lane miles of interstate ramps, bridges, overpasses
(Springfield Interchange, Beltway at Route 1, I-66 at Gainesville) with liquid magnesium chloride
200 lane miles of high-volume roads (Routes 1, 7, 28, 29, 50, Fairfax County Parkway, etc.) with salt brine
Mobilization begins several hours prior to forecasted start
Contractor trucks equipped, stocked, deployed
Trucks strategically staged along major routes
Incident command is activated at PSTOC when a major storm is forecasted

Mobilization Levels

VDOT Resources
18 local maintenance headquarters (9 in Fairfax, 4 each in Prince William and Loudoun, 1 in Arlington)
About 1,700 pieces of equipment (state and contractor) are available
274 interstate trucks equipped with automatic vehicle locators (AVL)
300 pick-ups (landscape-type trucks) typically used in subdivisions, and can push up to 18 inches of snow
Different trucks for interstates versus subdivisions
About 90 percent of crews and equipment are contracted
Training includes classroom sessions, snowplow simulators and snow route visits

2,200 pieces of equipment deployed
Pre-treated critical locations
Early mobilization and staging trucks – major roads, subdivisions
Planned for additional crews and 500 pieces of equipment (VDOT and contracted)
New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland
Other VDOT areas
Massive storms had regional and statewide implications
Mobilization for February Storms Heavy equipment such as this snowblower (left) and front-end loader (right) were used to clear February’s major snowfall.

VDOT Road Priorities
Roads are generally cleared from highest volume to lowest:
Interstates (I-66, I-95/395, I-495) made passable, then cleared to bare pavement
High-volume routes (Routes 1, 7, 28, 50, Fairfax County Parkway, Prince William County Parkway, etc.)
Main thoroughfares in neighborhoods
Remaining neighborhood streets and cul-de-sacs
Concurrent Priorities:
Shoulders and gore areas
Hauling snow where barriers prohibit piling (I-95/395 HOV, Beltway, construction sites)
I-95/395 Reversible HOV lanes and ramps
Commuter lots (15,000 spaces along I-95 and I-66)

Subdivisions and low-volume roads “Doing the most good in the least amount of time”
Plowed when 2+ inches have fallen
Main thoroughfares in neighborhoods are repeatedly plowed during a storm
Once main roads are clear, crews work on the remaining streets and cul-de-sacs
Vale Spring Drive, Oakton (right) Stop sign at Hillcrest Place and Parramore Drive, Alexandria (below)

Subdivisions and low-volume roads “Doing the most good in the least amount of time”
Will be made “passable”– an 8’ to 10’ wide path that is drivable with caution; remains snow-packed, rutted
Not curb-to-curb or to bare pavement
Hills, curves, intersections, problem spots sanded for traction
One pass for typical storms; major storms require multiple passes and heavier equipment such as front loaders
Harrowhill Lane, Burke (not passable) Slidell Lane, Springfield (passable)

Fairfax neighborhood roads are divided into 350 snow maps (650 district-wide)
Maps are updated annually to ensure all state-maintained roads are included.
Once main subdivision thoroughfares are completed, plow drivers:
Are assigned up to three maps each
Complete one map at a time
Report when at least one pass is made
May be temporarily reassigned for emergencies, special circumstances
How neighborhoods are assigned and plowed Swinton Drive, near Braddock Road (passable)

Fairfax County Snow Maps One of 350 snow maps assigned to plow drivers in Fairfax County. “Hotspots” are identified by area superintendents and added to maps annually.

Completing Subdivisions
Maintenance and office staff check progress and ensure completion in subdivisions
Subdivisions are considered complete when a driver reports the maps completed and monitors have spot checked them.
Once subdivision streets are passable, resident inquiries are “mapped” by the Customer Service Center and logged into VDOT’s reporting system and assigned to crews to revisit.
Americana Drive (Annandale) after plow passes.

Customer Service Center
To give crews a chance to finish assigned snow maps, VDOT asks that residents wait a few days after the storm ends before reporting roads as “missed.” Once crews have finished their routes, resident complaints are mapped into a database that feeds lists of locations back to the area headquarters to revisit.
Dozens of staff work 12-hour shifts to answer resident e-mails, take calls and log them into the system.
During February’s storms, calls inundated the center long before snow stopped falling. Staff worked to answer more than 34,000 calls and 5,000 e-mails to the info lines.

Communication: A Layered Approach
Media
Public Affairs issues round-the-clock updates and provides on-camera/phone interviews before/during/after storms
Public Affairs stationed at incident command
Elected Officials
Call reserved hotline
Detailed updates from Renée Hamilton
Public
Call 511 for road conditions
Visit 511virginia.org for road conditions and traffic cams
Follow 511northernva on Twitter for road conditions and accidents
Visit www.YouTube.com/VDOTweb for snow removal tips
Visit www.VirginiaDOT.org for news and road conditions
E-mail [email_address] or call 703-383-8368 to report unplowed roads

Get Snow Information Online 511virginia.org Twitter YouTube VirginiaDOT.org

Post-Storm Activities
Clearing Debris
Crews have been addressing downed trees and debris removal as part of ongoing daily maintenance
Work continues to be scheduled; residents and motorists can report issues online or to 703-383-8368
Addressing Potholes
Governor implemented statewide
“ Pothole Blitz”
Crews have filled 7,000+ potholes
in Fairfax County alone since 3/1
Crews using nine “Pothole Killers”
as well as traditional methods
Citizens encouraged to report
potholes online or to 703-383-8368
One of nine “Pothole Killers” working in northern Virginia.

What Worked Well
Incident command, co-location with agencies at PSTOC
Early mobilization and staging of equipment at critical locations (including subdivisions)
Pre-treating and clearing interstates, high-volume roads
Planning ahead for additional crews and equipment
Morale and dedication
Equipment reliability (mechanics 24/7; few breakdowns)
Coordination with Virginia State Police, Fairfax County Police, 911, Fire and Rescue, utility companies, other agencies in emergency response
No lives were lost!

Opportunities for Improvement During Major Storms
Subdivision response
Improve training and oversight of contractors
Update trouble spots on county maps
Explore contracts for additional heavy equipment for 18-inch and larger storms
Explore assistance from other agencies
Equipment and drivers/monitors from local governments
Possible use of helicopters to assist with monitoring subdivisions
Improve how we track and monitor plowing in subdivisions
Explore increased use of AVL
Explore improvements to reporting/mapping systems

THANK YOU.
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions.

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Snow Summit: Virginia Department of Transportation

by Fairfax County on Mar 16, 2010

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Snow Summit: Virginia Department of Transportation — Presentation Transcript