City cutting budget, figures why salt the roads?

While I am not as far north as my twin Sparklepop, I noticed a disturbing trend with the recession. The city of Detroit and Columbus decided to cut back the budget. And they both decided that cutting the money used to salt the road was a great idea. What could possibly go wrong?

It's a mess, here. Any other city decide that 'not salting' is a great way to save money?

I live in Madison,Wisconsin ( really a subburb, but I need to drive to the city for work) they decided to cut back on the salt too.

We are running out of salt, which is somewhat ironic because we are the ahem "salt city." They have to order some more in the towns around me. Its been a nasty winter with another storm coming in tonight.

Is it Spring yet?

Knoxville, TN recently had an 84 car pileup for this very reason.

Here in Las Vegas it doesn't snow, so we don't get salt anyway. A lot of people here have never even heard of salting the roads before.

Originally Posted by Vincent Price

Knoxville, TN recently had an 84 car pileup for this very reason.

Yikes! That's almost a state of emergency caused by pinching pennies!

I don't know where you are, but, around here in Northern KY, part of the problem was probably a dramatic increase in the price of salt. I remember hearing that city crews were getting price quotes on salt to determine how much they could afford. A week later when they call the salt people to purchase their salt, the price had more than doubled from the previous quote. Twice the price, half the salt.

pretty sad really. I know a lot of places are cutting salt. I guess they think the hospitals and auto insurance will pick up the tab

Originally Posted by Judith

While I am not as far north as my twin Sparklepop, I noticed a disturbing trend with the recession. The city of Detroit and Columbus decided to cut back the budget. And they both decided that cutting the money used to salt the road was a great idea. What could possibly go wrong?

It's a mess, here. Any other city decide that 'not salting' is a great way to save money?

Maybe the city is "in bed" with the auto body shops?

There's been a noticeable lack of plowing/salting here in the Chicago area this year. Minimal plowing contributed to me getting in an accident 6 days before X-Mas last month.

This is just freakin' ridiculous.....

Originally Posted by mbaker

This is what 'hope, and change' will get you.

Really? Eight days later that's the reason behind this? amazing.

I haven't noticed as many salters out this year. But this year is weird too. We've had a ton of snow, and not so much as far as freezing rain/ice. So maybe it just hasn't been needed in my area. not sure.

<3 those folks who dont think anyone would possibly need a road to go to a hospital or anything.

Originally Posted by Impulse

<3 those folks who dont think anyone would possibly need a road to go to a hospital or anything.

Roads where we're going we don't need roads. Just kidding. I know that budgets need to be trimmed, but there are somethings people shouldn't stop doing like plowing and salting.

But with global warming we wont have any more cold... oh never mind. This has been a icier/colder winter than ones in the past so I think a lot of towns got caught off guard.

The roads in my area have been pretty good. Of course Penn Dot got globally embarrassed a few years ago when they couldn't plow an interstate road and a whole bunch of people got stranded. So they have excess salt around to prevent this from happening again.

It never ceases to amaze me though, whenever a city/town needs to make budget cuts they always slash the police, fire and road crew budgets.

Juddith..its not just Detroit. Most of the surrounding cities are doing the same. They are only salting main intersections!!!! The last two really bad snowfalls we got here the roads were horrible to drive on for days!!!

I don't think its really the cities callin the shots ither for the no salt thing. Its happing with counties over by me. The cities themselves are plowing the street...not very good ither. But at least be me its the county that salts the roads over here.

Lets cut the salt for roads...even though we know that will help keep the drivers safer. They used to salt the roads an parking lots were I live in the apartments...but no salt this year anywhere through here.