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Question of the day

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Illinois

* Are things back to normal yet in your neighborhood/town/city/commute? Explain.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 9:48 am

Comments

Why were businesses open yesterday, but not public agencies such as schools, McHenry County government, etc.?

Comment by Cal Skinner Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:11 am
No. A bobcat snowplow died and has been stuck in our driveway since last night.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:12 am
Schools are still closed, haven’t gone back to work yet. I’m going to try to get to the store, today, supplies are getting low. We had 22 inches of snow, still plowing our way out. Lake County was hit pretty hard, especially close to the lake where I live.

Comment by Wensicia Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:14 am
Main roads are decent, but side streets still pretty poor in Mokena.

Comment by Jeff Wartman Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:14 am
Pretty much. There is about one car width plowed through a lot of side streets, kind of makes driving a little more fun.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:20 am
Tried to get one of the cars out of garage but it got stuck in alley because piles of snow blocked the best path to the tracks that had been made in the snow. Seems like the alley had not been plowed by city. Our side streets have been plowed. I think I can get car out tomorrow. CTA train running just fine this a.m. and yesterday p.m. In fact, at yesterday p.m. commute, a CTA employee came onto the platform, when the Brown line seemed not to be coming, to announce the order of the next four trains and where they were and when they would be coming–very helpful.

Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:21 am
DeKalb County in-town areas are mostly OK but I note the music store in downtown DeKalb canceled lessons and closed yesterday due to lack of parking availability. Some county and state roads still need to be widened (e.g. Rt. 72 is one lane in spots). It’s good enough that all area school districts have re-opened today, though.

Comment by yinn Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:25 am
The Eisenhower out by Northlake is still pretty unpredictable. The drifts meander in and out of the far right lane. In my neighborhood, it is almost impossible to see around corners at intersections because of the size of the drifts.

Comment by Obamarama Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:28 am
Got my Carhartt on and got to Farm and Fleet, so all is right with the world … just no place to put the snow. Schools are open, buses even were relatively on time for the kids …

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:28 am
Spfld seems pretty normal. Out in the county may be another story; I’m heading out shortly to help dig a friend out a bit west of Mechanicsburg …

Comment by Retired Non-Union Guy Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:34 am
The arterial streets are in good shape, but my side street just got its first plow today. Finally digging out the car and wondering what to do about dibs. I’ve always been against the practice, but shoveling this snow is no joke. I may go the lawn chair route of self-preservation.

Otherwise, I think Chicago is almost back to normal.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:34 am
In the Gold Coast, they’re in pretty good shape (no surprise). In Hyde Park, there are an awful lot of unplowed blocks. I can’t help but wonder how much of this is due to the fact that Toni Preckwinkle has been replaced by a political novice who has no intent of running for a full term…

Comment by Captain Angrypants Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:40 am
Everything normal here, haven’t seen an unpassable street since wednesday around noon. I’m kind of amazed at the problems people in the burbs/exurbs seem to be having. The city really allows you to take a lot for granted.

Comment by 27th ward Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:41 am
Down South in Carbondale there is no snow at all. That might be enough to even get Bill to say something positive about downstate! : )

Comment by Living in Oklahoma Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:42 am
=In Hyde Park, there are an awful lot of unplowed blocks=

The Sun-Times used this term, “unplowed”, in their story today about Bucktown side streets. But the picture clearly showed cars parked on the street trapped by the mounds of snow a plow would leave as it passed. So are the streets unpassable in Hyde Park, unplowed, or just not plowed to your satisfaction?

Comment by 27th ward Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:45 am
Everything was pretty normal yesterday in Oak Park. My side street was plowed once Wednesday, then again yesterday, plus the alley. Salt didn’t start going down on the main streets until yesterday a.m., but it’s all melted now. School back in session, stores stocking up.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:45 am
Near Springfield: It won’t be normal until the snow melts so you can see traffic at intersections. Also the 4foot tall snow bunker in front of my house is going to be there a long time.

Comment by Kevin Highland Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:47 am
During the ‘99 snowstorm three neighbors and I bought a massive snowblower we call “The Tim Allen Special.” Have used it ever since to keep both sides of our block open. We had all our sidewalks open Wednesday afternoon, plus paths to the nearby bus stop and major intersections. That evening cleared we cleared the alley on the south side of the block. Yesterday, morning a front-end loader opened our street as a group of neighbors got to work and cleared out most of the alley on the northside. The problem has been where to put the snow. We’ve been taking it out of the alley and putting it in our backyards.

Should be a very green spring for Chicago!

Comment by Roscoe Village Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:56 am
Schools still closed in Western Ill. due to wind chill and lack of plowing on many rural roads according to my Mother. I got my car out of snow in Chi, but don’t know what to do w/ it now.

Comment by D.P. Gumby Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 10:58 am
Back to normal? What are you talking about? Oh, wait, I heard some snow fell up north. Maybe that’s what this is all about.

Comment by Deep South Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:03 am
We seem pretty back to normal. Twp Hwy dept kept us clear on our street, better than State of Il and DuPage Cty did. Neighbors all came out and helped each other and to check on one and other.
Addison (where I work) equally good today. Yesterday not so much…

Comment by LisleMike Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:04 am
Yes, Berwyn seems back to normal. The alleys are plowed (kind of–well enough anyway), the side streets are plowed. They plowed the parking on the side of the street they would normally sweep yesterday and will likely do the same today on the other side.

Roosevelt road was fine from Austin to Mannheim and I-88 was fine from Mannheim to Winfield Road.

Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:20 am
CTA and/or Streets and San need to get some people to shovel out the bus stops. There’s a 4 foot mound of plowed snow between the street and the sidewalk. The kids went back to school today, and they need to stand ON the street in order to board the CTA buses that get many more of them to school than the 24K that ride on “School” buses than is being reported.

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:36 am
The busses were running really late and were super-duper-mega packed this morning. My bus is usually a bit slow to show up, but is usually not terribly crowded. It was serious sardine action on the bus this morning, and the buses were running 15 to 20 minutes apart. I tried taking a different bus, and the bus that was “3 minutes” away seemed to be stalled out.

Our car is trapped behind a wall of snow thats up to my stomach from the snow plows.

And the sidewalks are pretty dangerous, especially at intersections. Not normal by a long shot in the City.

But, still not too bad considering. Except for the extra large helping of snow, its no different than the aftermath of any other decent size blizzard I’ve experienced in my time in Chicago.

Comment by jerry 101 Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:37 am
yes, for days. except in chicago heights. apparently, patronage workers don’t do snow…

Comment by bored now Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:42 am
Would personally like it if the alley was cleared by the city?

Comment by levois Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:46 am
In my part of Lake County, the plowing of the state routes appear to be performed by rank amateurs or allowed to get out hand due to neglect. Route 60, Route 137, Route 43 narrowed to a single lane at times with huge snow drifts blocking lanes. Overpass bridges to 294 on 60 and 137 suffered the same fate.

When I traveled to Joliet yesterday and back from home, I noticed the same problems with the state routes being plowed haphazardly while municipal streets were relatively clear.

For the past few years, Lake Countians have been complaining of the slipshod plowing of state routes as compared to county routes and municipal streets. For years the State and our elected officials from the State have promised to “look into it” and “make improvements.”

The fact that Lake County shut down during the storm and declared a state of emergency with impassible roads was justified based on the after effects of the plowing. It is as though some minor leaguer temps operate most state snow plows at times.

I know this was a massive snow storm but average storms lead to the same results. It took two hours to drive west bound from Rt. 41 to Rt. 21 due to the pathetic plow jobs on Rt. 137. A normal drive is 15 minutes.

On my street I lucked out. I hire someone to plow my driveway and he showed up just after the city plowed the street. For a change I don’t have a frozen mound in front of my driveway!

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:54 am
Tough commute. Most state roads in my area of the burbs still do not have all lanes cleared. Kids are still off from school - they’re still trying to digg the school buses out.

Comment by Bluefish Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:55 am
Lake Shore Drive was down to 3 lanes around Belmont going South slowing traffic down. No place on the overpass for the right hand snow to go. North bound LSD was open till Irving Park. Right lane closed there. Left and Right lanes closed between Lawrence and Foster. Broadway, Ridge and Clark are fine. Smaller streets are all 1 lane with lots of snow on side. Parochial school closed for 3rd day. Home with Daughter.

On side note our neighbors were caught Tuesday on the Drive. If it was so crazy for them to be there, why was the CTA still sending buses that way?

Comment by jeff Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 11:56 am
Other than the 10 foot high piles of snow everywhere? Yes, everything is pretty much back to normal.

Comment by Frank Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 12:17 pm
All things clear in near western burbs - however - I have a new rule, if you are driving an SUV and attempt to drive over a 2′+ mound of snow and get stuck, I will no longer be venturing out to help push you out.

We have one unplowed/plowedover etc. entrance to a church alley, and I have helped about 5 SUV’s get unstuck since yesterday.

Just cuz you drive an SUV does not mean you can drive them wherever you want.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 12:26 pm
Anybody here take LSD south from about Soldier Field to 57th and can comment on what the road looks like? Icy? Any remaining issues with snow? Thinking of heading to the MSI on Saturday but concerned about road conditions.

Comment by Jasper Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 1:00 pm
Waited all day yesterday for Streets & San to ploy our side street. They never came so neighbors and I dug out last night in order to get to work this morning. Then, overnight S & S came through and plowed everybody back in again!

Comment by Chicago Dem Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 1:46 pm
27th Ward, when I say “unplowed”, I mean completely unvisited by a snow plow. As such, they’re impassable and most people haven’t even tried to get their cars out of those blocks. I assume they’re walking or taking public transit today. This makes it additionally difficult for those who commute down to Hyde Park in the morning…

Comment by Captain Angrypants Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 2:22 pm
Some people are driving like maniacs. Many roads have lane reductions and it is difficult to access main streets from side street intersections safely because the snow has been plowed into massive piles that block your view. Many side streets and alleys are still a mess.
The Edens Expressway had a massive traffic jam after a truck spun out and jackknifed near Lake Cook Road this morning.

Slow down and be safe. Allow more time, arrive late, but arrive safely.

Comment by Honest Abe Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 2:35 pm
Everything is back to normal:
Starlings are crapping on my car;
Squirrels are raiding the bird feeders;
Politicians are out in public embarrassing themselves…by being out in public; My favorite restaurants are crowded again; And my Johnny Black is depleted.

Thank God for cold, very cold beer! It’s Friday and all is well!

Comment by Justice Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 2:38 pm
Is snarl encouraged?

Comment by It's Just Me Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 2:43 pm
My area isn’t normal. I live in Northfield, and I usually go to work by walking about a mile to the North Glenview Metra station. Most of that walk is through a park that is maintained by the Cook Co. Water Reclamation District. Usually, when the park gets snow, someone plows the road, quickly. Yesterday and today, I walked through snow drifts that are 2′-3′ deep.

Comment by Conservative Veteran Friday, Feb 4, 11 @ 3:21 pm