Budget Cuts Will Impact Street Snow Removal

December 07, 2009

By Kim Hynes (WICHITA, Kan.)

Enjoy the dry roads while you can, because soon sleet and snow will slow you down. And once the snow starts falling, Kansas roads may stay slippery longer. KDOT says the $50 million recently cut from its budget will impact how well it treats the roads.

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"Public safety is still the priority, but we can only work within the boundaries of the resources given to us," said KDOT spokesman Tom Hein. Hein says given the budget cuts, they're conserving resources like salt and fuel. "We won't be able to do as much coverage as we did before. We may be slower on cleaning some areas and they may not be cleaned as well as in the past," he said.

KDOT says it may also have to park some of its plows because it doesn't have the manpower to run them all. In Wichita, KDOT is down 12 snow plow operators. It's had to keep vacant positions open. "We're certainly being more careful in how we line up our work force."

The City of Wichita's changing its work load, moving to 12 hour shifts during winter storms. That means fewer workers running the plows longer. Director of Public Works Chris Carrier says the budget is tight, but not matter the cost roads will be treated. "We consider snow and ice removal a public safety issue. It has the same kind of priority for funding," Carrier said.

Sedgwick County also says budget issues won't impact the way it treats roads. The county says it might actually save some money this year. It started using a new pre-treatment brine that uses 20-percent less salt.

All of the agencies that deal with snow removal say they can only do so much. Hein says drivers also play a role in preventing accidents. He says it's common sense, but people often forget to wear their seat belt, slow down and allow extra time during snow storms.

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