As Madison continues to dig its way out of this week’s snowstorms, residents can look forward to more of the same, as forecasters predict three to four more inches of snow Thursday evening.
Many said the city and university responded slowly to the snowstorms that sacked Madison over the weekend and on Tuesday.
“With over 30,000 students paying tuition each year, I think it’s outrageous and unacceptable that sidewalks are covered in snow and ice,” said Jon Levinsky, a UW-Madison junior. “How difficult is it to shovel sidewalks and entrances to buildings? Does Madison, Wisconsin, own a shovel?”
John Harrod, of UW-Madison’s Facilities Planning and Management Department, said the university does in fact own a shovel, and quite a bit more. Harrod said the university used nearly all its snow-removal equipment after the weekend’s storm.
Harrod also said that, given the density of the snow and the icy rain that followed, the university faced a particularly difficult task.
“I’m not sure that there’s a lot more to change what has already be done, with the kind of snow and its intensity over the weekend and freezing as it did,” he said.
Despite the university’s efforts to clear campus thoroughfares, much of campus remained covered with ice and snow until mid-Wednesday morning.
Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, said the City Council’s increased funds to the Madison Street Division Tuesday night produced better conditions for residents Wednesday morning.
“You might have noticed a slight improvement overnight, especially in the sidewalks,” he said. “I think we will have to analyze how we deal with emergencies like this in the future. It was a really bad storm.”
Harrod said university and city policy prevents snow-removal crews from using salt on many of Madison’s streets and sidewalks. The policy stems from the environmental effects salt use may have on Madison’s lakes and drinking water.
Steven Ventura, professor and chair of UW-Madison’s Department of Soil Science, said concerns about water contamination are valid, but noted salt can be used in cases of emergency with low environmental impact.
“Salt, at relatively low levels, is not dangerous [to drinking water],” he said. “Obviously, when you get unusual storms like the one we had Saturday and Sunday, chemical use is appropriate.”
