GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Snow is making a messy drive anywhere you look in Grand Rapids. Plow drivers are working overtime to reach as many streets as possible, but parked cars are creating obstacles for snow removal crews.
The city's public works garage sits nearly empty as all available plow drivers navigate snow-packed streets throughout the city. Snowplow drivers face a consistent challenge: drivers not following odd-even parking rules, which slows down their snow removal efforts.
"It's not quite as tight as what I thought it was when we were first coming around. It's gonna be tight. I might have to back up now," Grand Rapids Equipment Operator Kay Weeda said while navigating a residential street.
Weeda, a second-generation plow driver, entered the field after watching his father clear roads for years.
"And seeing the big truck, I just I was always intrigued. I used to run a little plow on my pickup for a while, and decided, heck, why not?" Weeda said.
As Weeda works through Grand Rapids neighborhood streets, parked cars are his biggest obstacle. The problem is particularly in his section between Front to Valley and Fulton to Bridge Streets.
"Just between all the parked cars and all the traffic in my area, I just haven't had been able to get through it fast enough to where I can have the whole thing done in that 12 hours," Weeda said.
The issue stems from drivers not following odd-even parking rules in his area.
"Parked cars are a big problem in my route. (It's) very rare you'll find a street where they actually abide by the odd, even parking," Weeda said.
The parking violations significantly complicate snow removal operations.
"Makes it pretty difficult when you go to turn, and you get to a point, and it's like, I'm not gonna make it through there. Now you got to back up, start going around a different way," Weeda said.
Grand Rapids Public Works Director John Gorney said that ignoring odd-even parking days creates consistent problems for snow removal crews.
"The issue is we can't get down the street, so there are areas where we have to either come back with a smaller truck or wait until vehicles move before you can get down the street," Gorney said.
Grand Rapids maintains 600 miles of streets with roughly 25 people working day and night shifts to clear them during snow events.
"Staffing. They've been fantastic, by the way. We're on 12-hour shifts, so at this point we have a night shift on 12 and a day shift on 12. They haven't had a day off. They're working 12-hour shifts. So it is tiring," Gorney said.
To help plows move more efficiently, Gorney added that drivers need to follow odd-even parking rules.
"I'm very thankful for it, very thankful for it," Weeda said.
Plow drivers plan to work throughout the weekend clearing snow. City officials say they won't use salt due to colder temperatures in the forecast that would render it ineffective.
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