I am going to make a political thread on snow removal

[deadheadskier]

The State of Massachusetts should NOT contract out snowplowing its highways.

I was on 95 in northern Mass last night around midnight and what an effin' joke. I got caught for 15 miles in a huge amount of traffic behind what was essentially the Mad Max Road Warrior plowing Brigade out there.

There was no order to their efforts. Just a blob of about a dozen trucks covering the four lanes. A few of the trucks weren't even heavy duty construction vehicles. Guys were in F150s plowing. :lol:

Usually when you encounter a major highway plowing operation there's a sense of order. The trucks are in a diagonal line or a V shape. Not so on 95 last night. Just a massive blob of a dozen trucks some stacked right behind one another allowing zero room for anyone to pass for 15 miles until they pulled off the exit at what I assume was the end of their contracted area.

Not only was it annoying, but the traffic jam their idiocy was causing was dangerous.

Perhaps it can be chalked up to early season unpreparedness, but it certainly appeared the state run plow crew in New Hampshire had a better handle on things.

 

[Nick]

The State of Massachusetts should NOT contract out snowplowing its highways.

I was on 95 in northern Mass last night around midnight and what an effin' joke. I got caught for 15 miles in a huge amount of traffic behind what was essentially the Mad Max Road Warrior plowing Brigade out there.

There was no order to their efforts. Just a blob of about a dozen trucks covering the four lanes. A few of the trucks weren't even heavy duty construction vehicles. Guys were in F150s plowing. :lol:

Usually when you encounter a major highway plowing operation there's a sense of order. The trucks are in a diagonal line or a V shape. Not so on 95 last night. Just a massive blob of a dozen trucks some stacked right behind one another allowing zero room for anyone to pass for 15 miles until they pulled off the exit at what I assume was the end of their contracted area.

Not only was it annoying, but the traffic jam their idiocy was causing was dangerous.

Perhaps it can be chalked up to early season unpreparedness, but it certainly appeared the state run plow crew in New Hampshire had a better handle on things.

People always look at me funny when I blow y the plow-trucks.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

 

[millerm277]

People always look at me funny when I blow y the plow-trucks.

Same with when you pass them in the snowier lane of the highway.

In response to the original post, does Mass normally contract out ALL their snowplowing, or was this just the guys they call in for extra support like most states do when really big storms occur?

Western Mass got something like 30" of snow, I'm guessing they needed every guy with a plow, no matter how incompetent.

 

[soulseller]

The State of Massachusetts should NOT contract out snowplowing its highways.

Agreed.

More then once I've been stuck behind these idiots, two of the worst occasions being the night we were heading home from Mammoth and were re-routed from TFGreen to Logan. We got stuck between the 495 exit and RI border behind a wall of snowplows in no hurry to go anywhere scrapping the bare pavement. Nothing more annoying then that after a 16 hour travel day.

Then again I think it was early season last year, 5:30am departure from RI to take advantage of the previous nights snow fall and we lost a good 30 minutes to the plow wall.

 

[soposkier]

Same with when you pass them in the snowier lane of the highway.

In response to the original post, does Mass normally contract out ALL their snowplowing, or was this just the guys they call in for extra support like most states do when really big storms occur?

Western Mass got something like 30" of snow, I'm guessing they needed every guy with a plow, no matter how incompetent.

Mass does not contract all of the plowing, the state does own some equipment, but that being said most every storm requires utilizing contractors. All the planning and supervision is done by the state though, usually it seems to be fairly systemized, especially on the interstates. Hopefully what happened in the past storm was just a bunch of newbies doing what ever and not a sign of whats to come for the rest of the winter.

 

[snoseek]

What ever N.H. does about their roads they seem to be onto something. I-93 and 16 are well plowed I think. 101 is pretty good too.