Photo by Kevin Wolf.
If you’re demanding answers as to why D.C. was so ill-prepared for Tuesday’s snowier-than-expected snow storm, you’re not alone. Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) is wondering the same thing.
Specifically, why the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Department of Public Works, and the District Department of Transportation seemed to drop the ball for commuters who had to brave the snow and go to work. “I am writing following the recent snow event of January 6th to bring to your attention concerns raised by many commuters about WMATA’s decisions to end bus service on routes that travel along residential streets because those streets had not be treated or plowed,” she writes in the letter.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Bill Howland, director of the DPW, said that part of the reason D.C. seemed ill-prepared was because the amount of snow was more than expected and the temperature was colder than expected, which made pre-treatment of roads more difficult.
“Temperatures were a little bit colder than anticipated. Temperatures were in the low 20s, we had thought they would be in the upper 20s,” Howland told reporters, WAMU reports. “We got a little more snow than anticipated. The forecast called for one to two inches, and we got closer to 3 to 4 inches.”
But Cheh isn’t satisfied by that answer, and asked for a different response by the end of the month. “This raises questions whether and to what extent priority is given to the bus route streets and if there is adequate coordination between DPW, DDOT and WMATA,” she writes. “Hearing from stranded residents and commuters left with no options was extremely upsetting.”
We’ve reached out to WMATA, DDOT, and the DPW for request for comment and will update when we hear back.
You can read Cheh’s full letter below, via the Post:
