New Website Tracks Plowing Status On VDOT Roads

*Press release

The Virginia Department of Transportation has a new web tool that shows the status of plowing in northern Virginia neighborhoods. Once it snows at least two inches, residents can find out the status of plowing in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William county neighborhoods.

“When it snows, this new web tool will show residents where the plowing is taking place by neighborhood and eventually this will go statewide once it is tested in Northern Virginia,” said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in a statement. “The online snowplow tool is an excellent example of how Virginia is improving citizen services by leveraging technology so everyone can benefit from the information.”

VDOT has organized northern Virginia streets into 600 “snow maps” which are assigned to plow drivers. These are the maps users will view and be able to find out whether crews are plowing, have plowed or have not started a particular snow map.  Street-by-street progress is not shown.

Users can enter an address in northern Virginia to see a color-coded snow map that indicates the plowing status in that area:   

• Green: a neighborhood has been plowed,
• Yellow: plows are in progress in the neighborhood,
• Blue: plows have not yet started the neighborhood; and,
• Gray: the area is not maintained by VDOT.  

“This is a test run so we will welcome feedback from the public,” said northern Virginia VDOT Assistant District Administrator Branco Vlacich.  “We will make adjustments as needed to make it as user-friendly and helpful as possible.”

Quick Tips for Users

• Be sure to enter your complete address, e.g. 100 Maple Street, Anytown, Virginia.
• The website tracks VDOT-maintained neighborhoods only.
• The website is active only when two or more inches of snow have fallen.

Residents can view a video on how to use the new site at http://youtu.be/HMRaItZLgyo.

How VDOT clears subdivisions in northern Virginia

Trucks are pre-positioned in subdivisions whenever the forecast calls for two or more inches of snow.  Each subdivision has at least one dedicated truck and plowing begins when two inches have accumulated. Main thoroughfares are repeatedly plowed during a storm. Once the storm has stopped and those roads are clear, crews work to make residential streets and cul-de-sacs “passable.” 

A neighborhood street is considered passable when a path is drivable (with caution) for an average passenger vehicle. The road will not be cleared curb-to-curb or to bare pavement, and may remain snow-packed, uneven and rutted (especially following any refreeze). Chemicals are not typically used in subdivisions, but crews sand hills, curves and intersections as needed to provide traction. For most storms, one snowplow pass, about eight to ten feet wide, is made.

Once drivers complete a minimum of one pass on the roads in a map, they report back that the route is complete.

VDOT judges subdivisions complete through processed snow maps, resident call volume and feedback from VDOT monitors.