Mingus, it's not about telling everyone what to do--that's not the lesson here--it's about GETTING PLOWS OUT AHEAD OF TIME. Please. Stop it with the nannying and do YOUR job.
Fighting Mother Nature is never going to be a win. I honestly feel the responsibility lies with us. Drive only when needed, snow tires and listen when forecasters say stay at home. When this storm hit a bunch of us stayed the night at work and had a great time.
I sat in that room behind the Commissioner’s head during every storm from 2003 to 2022, answering thousands of calls from the public and trying to help things run more efficiently. Everyone at Maintenance Operations works above and beyond, but can only do as much as the field staff can do in 24 hours with just a few hundred people. I can tell you that almost every time we did plan ahead and ramped up operations based on a forecast, the storm would fizzle. Fact is, PBOT is way understaffed for a city the size of Portland. Austerity and budget cuts always seem to affect field staff first, when that’s the last thing that should go. Street cleaning has been cut to bare bones. Almost every department is short-handed. On top of it all, they operate out of a 55 year old converted parking garage with zero security, and if the cascadia quake ever happens, will likely be a pile of rubble. The city fleet operates out of an even older building with minimal room to repair hundreds of vehicles. Portland simply has to start behaving like the big city it has become. A 24/7 fully staffed Public Works department in an appropriate corporation facility is one of the first steps needed. Also, stop using b-roll of highways and on-ramps when blaming PBOT. That’s ODOT territory.
I agree it would help 100% if people carried chains in their vehicles and actually used them going home or where ever they go. There is no personal responsibility they all just want to point at pbot and Odot, why not look at themselves.
Imagine living in Central Oregon, where it snows all the time and they still don't take care of the roads. They just leave it, cars drive on it and it turns to ice for days. That makes it extra hard to get around and try to park anywhere. I finally decided whoever dishes out the budgets lives in Salem and doesn't realize it snows in 3/4's of the state. Every Winter I stock up on food, knowing our road won't get plowed for at least 3 days after a really big storm.
I suggest you start hounding your city and county about the lack of snow plowing of your street. What does Salem legitimately have to do with that? I thought the rural counties didn't like big government, but now you want Salem to plow your roads? I'm in Portland, and they too do a terrible job at plowing the streets, but I blame Portland, not Salem. Get your outrage rightly together before you spew it stupidly.
@Xaviotes Harris I've lived all over Colorado and snow isn't even an issue. I've lived all over Oregon and it's dangerous every time it snows in any county. So yes, I'm looking at Salem, because they are in charge of the state. When my 18 yr old has to drive 50 miles to get to school, it's not my street, I'm worried about.
@@xaviotesharris891Portland gets most of the state/federal funding and yet they still fail. Why are these state and local(portland/Multnomah County) officials so wealthy??
I want to know where the so called city leaders where 2 hours before it really got bad? Were they home, or at work on that day. Any of them get stuck in any traffic?
Maybe time to learn from the east coast and midwest states. My family has lived in Oregon since 1980, and nothing has changed despite many years since that we have had significant snow storms. I spent the winter in Massachusetts last year, and they have days of snow a foot high and more and temperatures in the 20s or below, but the roads were always clear as their snow plows were constantly working. And shoveling snow on sidewalks outside your home is the law and also the considerate thing to do. Snow days for schools were only when a blizzard is causing no visibility outside not because the roads are all snowed over and iced up.
Does Massachusetts get snow for more then 3 days a year? Yes they do! Then yes you have a valid point. But it is a waste of money to buy all this equipment for 3 days.
Moved here 12/2015 and they said that the storm in 2/2016 was an anomaly…seems these anomalies are happening more often than not; and, the city definitely needs to do better.
@@karlabritfeld7104 exactly I've lived here my whole life and it's not uncommon. People just act like it is. We live an hour away from mountains in all directions, practice in the snow should be mandatory.
2016 was the best year for snowboarding. Good times. Just get proper winter tires on steel rims. Blizzak WS80s are excellent. Costs about 500 in total. Swap the winters on in November. Off in March. Even with 2 wheel drive nearly unstoppable
@KGW News: I'm sorry to say this but I do not trust any of our local weather reporters. Your high tech equipment sucks. (I only rely on the Nation weather service) The national weather service was predicting 8+ inch's 2 days before, while you guys said 1 to 2 inches maybe. Same in summer time. Local weather people are correct winter or summer less then 25% of the time. While the National weather service is correct 80% of the time. Our local fancy expensive equipment doesn't help, you would tdo better to just stick your head out the window and report what's going on outside at the moment. I'm from Alaska and lived here in Portland 25 years and it is no harder to drive here then in Anchorage. Everyone likes to blame ODot because they can't drive in the snow here when in reality the Only difference Is 97% of the people that live here Do Not know how to drive in snow only 3% can and do know how to drive in snow. The hills around here confuse people with snow, they think 5mph is better then 25mph and the get stuck. The laws of speed and physics elude people. I have never got stuck or needed to use chains here in Portland, it's just not that bad. Instead of blaming ODot all the time how about we offer classes to teach people to drive in the snow, give them the knowledge they seem to be lacking. The more people learn the better things will be. Or we can just keep pointing the fingers at ODot and being part of the problem then being part of the solution. (EDUCATE people how to drive in the snow)
Another GREAT broadcast and story, especially on this winter storm that just hit us. Pat Doris, you did a PHENOMENAL job and excellent reporting. After 32yrs you have definitely earned your "Portland Webbed Toes" and know exactly what you are talking about, when it comes to helping the City of Portland & its Citizens out!... 👍🏻👍🏻
I was stuck with five kids on I5 for well over 4 hours. I took the side roads to get home. It took me 8 hours to drive across town. City officials responsible for keeping the roads safe should be all fired and replaced. There is a chronic culture of giving excuses for constant failures. You don’t have to re invent the wheel. Just learn from the many cities that have to deal with snow on regular basis in this country. I lived in one of those cities as so many others who understand how incompetent these people are. We just don’t hold these people accountable.
Put the blame where it's deserved, lack of personal preparedness and lack of driving skill. Take your life in your own hands instead of trusting the government with your life.
@@U.s-epa personal responsibility is first. I agree! But we as local residents pay taxes to cover these these services. Those who work there have chosen taken on that responsibility. They should know doing your job at a high level is the expectation. They are simply failing us. Even local press are soft in them because it’s a bureaucracy that had rottened the city to the core.
That is rough! I empathize with the stress of having kids in the car on a normal day, not to mention a snow storm. If you have the means I highly suggest getting a pair of Blizzak WS80 winter tires mounted on steel rims for the winter season. I had those on my Subarau in 2016 and even on the iciest roads was able to drive thru. I was actually coming back from Mt. hood when the big snow hit the valley floor and the 84 to 205 ramp was iced and littered with semi trucks sliding. Made it through with ease. Depending on your vehicle it’s 500-1000 to get that setup. But because your swapping tire sets you spread the west and tear on your tires more efficiently. Tires are made to operate in specific temperature ranges. Using winters in the winter season reduces the wear and tear. Using all season or summer tires in the warmer season reduces the wear on those tires. In the long term this efficiency boost makes your money back on the initial cost of the winters. The reason I advice getting the winters on steel rims is you can swap them for free or very low cost at most tires shops. Additionally if you do slide and hit a curb the steel rims can take it without suffering critical damage. Your typical alloy rims are protected this way.
The typical Portland failed leadership. Always pointing fingers at someone else with no accountability. Twice last year we were stuck in traffic on I-84 thinking it was an accident. When we approached the incident, it was city workers cleaning up graffiti on the bridge beam, IN TRAFFIC HOURS!!! You can’t plan out a better time for these minor maintenance work and avoid unnecessary traffic? It’s just outrageous how these city officials work so carelessly. We had this issue a few years back, and school buses were stuck in traffic for hours. You didn’t learn from that nightmare you caused families?? And by the way, we all depend on the weatherman for our individual daily plans. But that don’t mean we base our life’s decisions on their forecast!! Here’s a simple tip for next time, Don’t just plan for the worst, “EXECUTE THE PLAN FOR THE WORST”.
The city needs to have plows not at stored at one location as a snow storm approaches, have those 36 snow plows strategically placed in advance of rush hours and warn people to get home early or have people stay home.
Hahahaha and who is going to pay for those 36 snow plows and the sand gravel and the hours they work? You? If your paying the 7.5 million for 3 days great, grab your check book I will drive you myself to the snow plow dealership. But if it is not you the city have more important things to spend that money on them snow equipment for 3 days a year.
@@hotvwbug9285That would be nice if we could see what those "more important things" are that the money is spent on. Lot of local officials driving luxury vehicles and putting their kids in private schools.
@@barryallen871 I agree with you, Oregon has never learned how to balance a check book the right way, but it showed more after the logging industry took a major dive (now only at 40%) back in the late 80's, and Oregon keeps righting checks and spending money that they just do not have like they did in the good time logging days with the logging money coming in. Now there trying to tax the Crap out of everyone to keep up their spending and it's not working. They have dug themselves a hole 🕳️ they can not get out of now, now since covid, covid moreless welded that hole shut. They need to just stop and cut the waste those government officials are getting and restructure their spending. But blaming Odot for this stuff is not going to fix anything, they already don't have the money, and the little they do have they won't spend it on only 3/4 days of snow a year. (Just need to face the facts) They took better care of the roads when the logging industry was booming. (Everything slowly start to rot in the early 90 to where we are today) hence the new money making machine they imposed tolling all lanes on I-5 and 205 from wilsonville to Columbia river. (What a joke)
This is the price you pay for no state sales tax. You want something? You have to pay for it. Nobody is going to spend extra on snow removal when there is no money for something that happens 3 days a year and there is always not enough money. What happens if there are three warm winters in a row from global warming? Sell the remaining plows and zero out the snow budget because every year is an austerity budget. I would not trust government with blanket spending authority on a new state sales tax either, but something needs to be done.
@Toni Dinh Boy what a comeback, you told him. You know nothing about him but you resort to a personal attack because OMG he had the gall to point out the obvious that Portland has a crime problem and their support of the police department is so bad they literally gave up trying to recruit more officers because no one wants to work here at any salary. But hey if ignoring reality works for you go ahead and enjoy the crime and filth in Portland.
Lmao this is only going to get worse each year 😂 Higher taxes, homeless, and lack of weather vehicles, Portland is an absolute mess. I'm soooooooo happy to be moving out of this garbage dump next month. Over this place.
im lucky to live in a state that is used to getting snow, plows are usually right there with when the snow comes. this looks like normal winter weather in utah
My hat is off to many hospital..care home..nursing home..hospice and assisted living facilities that probably put in 48 hour Plus shifts to care for people,.ambulance crews..the list goes on. maybe animal care facilities and the old Washington Park Zoo too..and the people who are kind enough to help stranded and stuck motorists. Thank you all.!!!!
Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and Canada’s two largest cities Montreal and Toronto do a far better job when it comes to snow removal. Time for Portland to learn from Montreal.
th-cam.com/video/HfDZixZFzms/w-d-xo.html Yeah we need to learn from Montreal. I am sure Montreal does a fine job clearing snow, but I have loved this video for over 5 years.
Yesterday I spent 5 hours on I-5 southbound close to vancouver and portland bridge, I never seen the dot doing anything! today as well most of the roads are so icy and dangerous.
Having lived with "Lake Effect Snow" for 14 years where we got between 100-200" of snow every winter, you could do what other communities do like have the entire road maintenance department go onto 12-hour shifts during December, January, Februray, and March in order to plow around the clock. The city and county probably need to triple or quadruple the amount of "snow" equipment to ensure that the work actually gets done. You have a published plan of how you will be plowing the interstates, main arteries, and then later the neighborhood streets. On-street parking alternates every day in order to keep the streets plowed. I like the idea of shutting down some of the streets until the trucks have had a chance to salt and then plow. I readily admit that this area has some of the most incredibly steep hills and slanted highways that I have ever seen. This is never going to be an easy job. My son had difficulties getting around on Wednesday afternoon/evening and very few people out here have ever driven around in more snow and ice than he has endured over the years back in the mid-west. The point is that the problem is not going to get any better until the Mayor Wheelers of the world actually do something to make the situation better. Good luck with that.....
Not saying ODOT can’t do better but if 90% of drivers are not willing to get proper winter tires on for the season then we’re always going to have this. Blizzak WS80’s and on steel rims for cost 500-1000 depending on the wheel size. Put them on in November. Off in March. Your regular tires last longer because your not wearing them in the incorrect temperatures which averages out the cost of the winter tires long term.
I've lived in Portland all my 55 years and the weather forecasters in Portland have always been terrible at forecasting snow. It doesn't snow when they say it will and it snows a lot when they say it won't.
Ok. So everyone else in the world knows you need to salt/cinder roads BEFORE it snows. And for that PBOT guy making excuses saying nothing was salted because they thought it would “only” be a couple inches, someone needs to smack him and remind him that a couple inches of ice is just as dangerous and shuts the city down just as well as the 11 we got! No excuse! PBOT and ODOT should have been out there BEFOREHAND
I disagree personal responsibility and carry chains during winter and actually use them would have fix 80% of the problems on the roads if people did that, but no easier to point the finger at Odot and pbot then take their own responsibility.
When you forecast a storm don't blame the people depending on your information when you're wrong. They are sitting in their cars or houses and can't go anywhere because of your mistake!
Don't blame others for unpreparedness. It was obvious right when I got to work at 10 it was going to snow and likey stick just from looking around I could tell this. Learn to take care of yourself for a change.
I think of my granddaughter stuck on I5 for 7 hours and the school buses full of child stuck along with her. The moms and dads with toddlers. It was bad and schools should have been let off earlier and people of work earlier. ODOT and Pdot need to get better management.
You want to put blame somewhere you need to look at the other half of the problem, the commuter ... Where are they traction devises . To cheep to have traction tires or studded snow tires or a set of tire chains. Then too lazy to put them on . But like everything today , they won't take responsibility for their action's.
Lol I saw plenty of cars with studded tires and chains stuck in ditches. And some people can barely afford to keep gas in their car, money bags. But I guess thats their own problem. 🤷
It must be nice to work for the city. You never have to admit you’re sorry, you never have to change, and you never face any accountability for your mistakes. Wish my job was like that….Maybe a little competition in the market place would be a good idea in this area? Someone suggested having de icing trucks, sanders, plows, etc. strategically placed throughout the big cities. I bet there are private companies or individuals who would be willing to house, and run these machines on a moments notice. I saw many people helping tow, push, give rides, etc. There are plenty of people who would be happy to serve their communities during an emergency. We don’t have to depend only on on the city.
It also would be nice to take some personal responsibility and carry chains, and actually use them, that would take care of 80% of the problem but everyone wants to point the finger at pbot and Odot. Same can be said to the people driving did you have chains? Did you use them? Then why are you driving when you do not know how to drive in the snow?
The National weather service said snow at Sea Leve two days before the storm hit portland. Again our local fancy expensive equipment is garbage (or the local weather people really do not know how to use it)
Portland & Oregon has always struggled with snow & ice… I feel for one they don’t take it seriously as it only happens far and few between, when it does happen they get caught with their pants down in no big hurry to deal with the snow like other states. They typically let it happen then let it freeze and wait it out. Any big snow storm brings the metro area to a big halt… the meteorologists around our area is great at forecasting RAIN not the snow & ice 😂 due to their errors year after year I have never trusted their “expertise” when it comes to the winter season.. Matt has been doing this for 30+ years?? Hmm seems like he started forecasting snow yesterday.. why not be like other states that do better by preparing for the worse and hoping for the best!!!!! Come on Portland let’s goooooo… I will say this when it comes to Portland metro snow, we get a different kind of snow compared to Eastern Oregon and other states our snow is wet and heavy that then freezes so why not use deicer and sodium chloride?? Again this would be preparing for the worst while hoping for the best!! Maybe it is because Portland is too big of a “green” city who rather ride things out naturally 😂😂 Again getting caught with their pants down 😊
Also, truth is Oregon does not have any money, and we can't afford things like snow plows and road salt here. Everything else is excuses to cover up for the fact Oregon is broke.
If people can't afford or don't have room to store studded tires they could always just carry chains in their trunk they are the cheapest option and also work the best and take up very little room for anyone living in an apartment (why get chains because it's winter and they don't know how to drive in snow) but I'm guessing they are to lazy to put them on or don't want to so they don't even bother to buy chains. Buying chains alone would take care 1/2 the problems of cars getting stuck.
I blame the terrible drivers here more than the city. Everyone should be prepared to drive in snow / ice WITHOUT ANY GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION!!!!!! I can't for the life of me understand entrusting your safety to the government. Get good tires for the winter. Learn to air down. Go practice at the mountain at least a few times so you know how it feels. Buy chains and know how to put them on. This is completely unnecessary and happens every snowstorm.
One thing I see as I watch this, are people trying to get their vehicles moving faster as they start out driving. The key is, put your car into drive and slowly begin driving. If your wheels are spinning, you need to back off the gas and again, start slowly. If you get stuck, do NOT spin the wheels! Slow and steady is how you deal with it. If you get stuck, you need to rock your car. You put it in drive and gently press gas, then as you are moving, put it into reverse, and go easy on the gas. Continue back and forth until you get unstuck. Resist the urge to do anything too fast as you will slide, spin your wheels, or get stuck. Always drive slower on snow, and even slower on ice. Do not get impatient and think you should be driving faster. Slow and steady wins the race.
Portland needs to realize that it IS a city that gets severe winter weather. Now that I've moved (escaped) to a place that gets real snow, he's right, Portland snow is much more slippery. Your temperatures don't get THAT low, so things are always wet and slippery, ready to become glare ice. It's also a hilly city, with a population unskilled. It's also a major choke point for West Coast travel; if Portland clogs up it can mean empty shelves in Salem or Seattle. Everyone needs to stop thinking of it as a city that never snows and take this thing seriously.
I'll tell you why. It's simple. I was in that mess on I 5 on Wednesday. Most had no chains or studded tires on their vehicles. True enough. ODOT and PDOT weren't sanding soon enough in my opinion. But, it can't all be laid at their feet. Bigg traffic jams happened the last snow storm. And the storm before that. And the ones before that. PUT CHAINS OR STUDS ON!!!!! AND Portland needs to hand out heavy fines for abandoning vehicles that have NO traction devices. That would force the majority to buy and use a $75.00 set of chains or pay a hefty fine and tow charges. Snow storms do happen here. Not often. But, they do from time to time. SO PREPARE FOR IT!! By the way. It was a log jam of 7 to 8 cars were the cause on I 5 at the 405 split. None I saw had chains on.
Difference I've found as a professional driver, is that the folks elsewhere in the country know how to drive and behave in the snow, and the folks here don't. You get snow in Denver, Chicago or Philly, and you don't have cascading problems caused by clueless drivers. Here, though? One flake falls, and all hell breaks loose
He’s full of crap. I was in Mississippi and saw on weather channel’s 48hrs. Before how bad it would be. Waited because they didn’t want to spend the money on roads
I never struggle during snow storms in Portland, I'm always prepared, the rest should do the same instead of complaining about ODOT. 😎 Remember this happens year after year, are you ready for the next one?
@@michaellewis8245 yes that would be a solution. Better drivers would vastly improve these situations. You should be prepared to drive in unplowed snow in the winter in the north.
@@U.s-epa I’m from Minnesota. Every year there are accidents when the first snow falls from new residents and the roads are well-maintained. It’s much easier to develop a public policy for the transportation department than place to behavior of every driver.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Pat! I barely made it home from a Dr. appointment about 345pm, & then had a front row seat to the insanity of watching 405, both ways, ok, atleast southbound, and also the offramp of 405 onto 1-26. On the former, it must of barely been 5pm be4 i started to notice that NOBODY & i mean, nobody was moving going North! Then also, it didn't take long at all, for so many cars trying to exit to 26 from the freeway & spinning out, then abandoning their cars. But those leaving 13th onto Clay to so enter, all seemed to make it thru, eventually. So, what's the big diff i ponder?? In any event, i could tell pretty early on, that this wasn't going 2B a storm 2B messed with, and fast action on the overpasses & freeways was necessary, or else! Well, apparently the people who SHOULD have known better, couldn't figure out what an every day driver - could! Close those things down, sand ... the streets & then move along, so everybody else could. Portland is just so cheap! Whatever do they take our meter $$$ for then, if not 4 something like THIS?!!
I think the city/state leaders need to get out of denial and realize that this is becoming a more common winter occurrence, due to climate change; how about reaching out to those cities that are much better prepared for winter weather and getting some advice in order to invest in better infrastructure to improve future responses to such events!!!
Or maybe people should educate themselves on how to exactly drive in the snow, instead of pointing the finger at someone else because they got stuck. Hmmm 🤔
@@Obie1844 that would require accountability. Integrity and actual qualifications for the position they hold. Our state is run by virtue signaling schmucks that always have an excuse when the questions start flying. If we expect anything better from them we need to reevaluate our own expectations. Don’t get me wrong, this could have been avoided and handled much better but Portland sucks at taking quality action that get real results.
@@hotvwbug9285 snow is one thing, ice under the snow creates another issue that ODOT should have been better prepared for. They dropped the ball for the 7th year in a row.
@@Obie1844 yes and you can learn how to drive on that here too. No personal responsibility. If you know you can drive in snow and ice stay home leave the road open for the people that do and can drive in snow & ICE. I guess pointing the finger at Odot is much easier, then an old dog learning a new trick.
Nowhere ruins a good snow better than Portland. PDOT did NOT do an amazing job, and continues to choke. Even last night, roads in our neighborhood were largely melted out, but at 10:00 there was a PDOT truck parked in the middle of a crosswalk idling. they claimed they couldn't drive up the hill even though they were on pavement. What they never bothered to do is make an easy drive to one of the many open pavement routes they could have used to get anywhere they needed to go. They just sat there doing nothing. And no, some of us originally from "other parts of the country" are not amused. And never ever give yourselves an "A" you fail every time. you don't get a participation award. And oh, deal with the many car break-ins, and attempted car thefts (mine - twice in front of my house) during the "storm". Your lack of preparedness, lack of capability, and deeper lack of proper law enforcement overall puts us all at risk, and costs a whole lot more than if you would actually start prosecuting crime. What a disaster.
Mingus Mapps is not from there. He grew up in California. Spending summers in PacNW is NOT living there. He said they predicted a half inch? Zero notification? My family even knew it was coming and they live in Idaho. Yes, it was not 6 inch prediction, but even a half inch of snow in Portland is ALL HANDS ON DECK. YOU HAVE to get trucks out there asap! Mingus Mapps was so casual acting during your interview. He should have been cowering under his desk! Your weather man.....predicting 3 inches .he did his job....everyone else who saw his prediction did NOT. If anyone has lived in Portland longer than a decade , they know that the city is just not built for snow and ice. The TriMet spokesperson should have been putting chains on busses as soon as they heard about snow. In 1969...when there were a lot of workers downtown, i knew to keep my car in the parking lot and take the bus? WHY? Because the bus service company knew Portland in the snow. Crossing bridges, navigating hills, meant no traction without chains. Is anyone in Portland even from there? Or did they get sick of the horrible management of the city and leave?
Why do people pretend this is confusing? Proper equipment to respond to this sort of thing is expensive as hell and we'd use it once a year, which is oddly tough on maintenance. The politician who commits to purchasing the machines is going to lose the next election because their opponent is going to hammer them for wasting money. The govt. can't/won't force businesses to close early and management is loath to send people home for fear "things will clear up". They are afraid they'll have to explain why they put safety over profits to people who don't see that as a valid priority.
Sad. One state away, and even my backwood hick road was plowed before I needed to travel. Maybe you should worry less about bike lanes, and worry about people that pay road tax. This is your "woke" city in action. Have fun.
Mingus, it's not about telling everyone what to do--that's not the lesson here--it's about GETTING PLOWS OUT AHEAD OF TIME. Please. Stop it with the nannying and do YOUR job.
After living in Oregon for 40 years, all I can say is that ODOT still has a "perfect record".
Here’s some simple advice: when they predict ANY snow, prepare for it like it’s gonna be a major event.
Fighting Mother Nature is never going to be a win. I honestly feel the responsibility lies with us. Drive only when needed, snow tires and listen when forecasters say stay at home. When this storm hit a bunch of us stayed the night at work and had a great time.
I sat in that room behind the Commissioner’s head during every storm from 2003 to 2022, answering thousands of calls from the public and trying to help things run more efficiently. Everyone at Maintenance Operations works above and beyond, but can only do as much as the field staff can do in 24 hours with just a few hundred people.
I can tell you that almost every time we did plan ahead and ramped up operations based on a forecast, the storm would fizzle.
Fact is, PBOT is way understaffed for a city the size of Portland. Austerity and budget cuts always seem to affect field staff first, when that’s the last thing that should go. Street cleaning has been cut to bare bones. Almost every department is short-handed. On top of it all, they operate out of a 55 year old converted parking garage with zero security, and if the cascadia quake ever happens, will likely be a pile of rubble. The city fleet operates out of an even older building with minimal room to repair hundreds of vehicles.
Portland simply has to start behaving like the big city it has become. A 24/7 fully staffed Public Works department in an appropriate corporation facility is one of the first steps needed.
Also, stop using b-roll of highways and on-ramps when blaming PBOT. That’s ODOT territory.
Then why does the pbot spokesman say they aren't understaffed?
I agree it would help 100% if people carried chains in their vehicles and actually used them going home or where ever they go. There is no personal responsibility they all just want to point at pbot and Odot, why not look at themselves.
@@FirstName-nf4fx They are mostly fully staffed for the budget they have now. What they need is more money to operate at a higher level.
Imagine living in Central Oregon, where it snows all the time and they still don't take care of the roads. They just leave it, cars drive on it and it turns to ice for days. That makes it extra hard to get around and try to park anywhere. I finally decided whoever dishes out the budgets lives in Salem and doesn't realize it snows in 3/4's of the state. Every Winter I stock up on food, knowing our road won't get plowed for at least 3 days after a really big storm.
I suggest you start hounding your city and county about the lack of snow plowing of your street. What does Salem legitimately have to do with that? I thought the rural counties didn't like big government, but now you want Salem to plow your roads? I'm in Portland, and they too do a terrible job at plowing the streets, but I blame Portland, not Salem. Get your outrage rightly together before you spew it stupidly.
@Xaviotes Harris I've lived all over Colorado and snow isn't even an issue. I've lived all over Oregon and it's dangerous every time it snows in any county. So yes, I'm looking at Salem, because they are in charge of the state. When my 18 yr old has to drive 50 miles to get to school, it's not my street, I'm worried about.
@@xaviotesharris891Portland gets most of the state/federal funding and yet they still fail. Why are these state and local(portland/Multnomah County) officials so wealthy??
I want to know where the so called city leaders where 2 hours before it really got bad? Were they home, or at work on that day. Any of them get stuck in any traffic?
Maybe time to learn from the east coast and midwest states. My family has lived in Oregon since 1980, and nothing has changed despite many years since that we have had significant snow storms. I spent the winter in Massachusetts last year, and they have days of snow a foot high and more and temperatures in the 20s or below, but the roads were always clear as their snow plows were constantly working. And shoveling snow on sidewalks outside your home is the law and also the considerate thing to do. Snow days for schools were only when a blizzard is causing no visibility outside not because the roads are all snowed over and iced up.
Does Massachusetts get snow for more then 3 days a year? Yes they do! Then yes you have a valid point. But it is a waste of money to buy all this equipment for 3 days.
Moved here 12/2015 and they said that the storm in 2/2016 was an anomaly…seems these anomalies are happening more often than not; and, the city definitely needs to do better.
I’ve lived here my entire life. We’ve had plenty. Rare, but enough that the city should have figured their crap out by now.
Individuals also need to do better at driving. The amount of absolutely shit drivers getting stuck was sad and unnecessary.
No. I lived in Portland for 27 years. These storms happened every year. And every year Portland is unprepared.
@@karlabritfeld7104 exactly I've lived here my whole life and it's not uncommon. People just act like it is. We live an hour away from mountains in all directions, practice in the snow should be mandatory.
2016 was the best year for snowboarding. Good times. Just get proper winter tires on steel rims. Blizzak WS80s are excellent. Costs about 500 in total. Swap the winters on in November. Off in March. Even with 2 wheel drive nearly unstoppable
@KGW News: I'm sorry to say this but I do not trust any of our local weather reporters. Your high tech equipment sucks. (I only rely on the Nation weather service) The national weather service was predicting 8+ inch's 2 days before, while you guys said 1 to 2 inches maybe. Same in summer time. Local weather people are correct winter or summer less then 25% of the time. While the National weather service is correct 80% of the time. Our local fancy expensive equipment doesn't help, you would tdo better to just stick your head out the window and report what's going on outside at the moment.
I'm from Alaska and lived here in Portland 25 years and it is no harder to drive here then in Anchorage. Everyone likes to blame ODot because they can't drive in the snow here when in reality the Only difference Is 97% of the people that live here Do Not know how to drive in snow only 3% can and do know how to drive in snow. The hills around here confuse people with snow, they think 5mph is better then 25mph and the get stuck. The laws of speed and physics elude people.
I have never got stuck or needed to use chains here in Portland, it's just not that bad.
Instead of blaming ODot all the time how about we offer classes to teach people to drive in the snow, give them the knowledge they seem to be lacking. The more people learn the better things will be. Or we can just keep pointing the fingers at ODot and being part of the problem then being part of the solution. (EDUCATE people how to drive in the snow)
You can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather
Ms. Jackson
❤
Another GREAT broadcast and story, especially on this winter storm that just hit us. Pat Doris, you did a PHENOMENAL job and excellent reporting. After 32yrs you have definitely earned your "Portland Webbed Toes" and know exactly what you are talking about, when it comes to helping the City of Portland & its Citizens out!... 👍🏻👍🏻
It costs too much to provide much stand by snow moving capacity.
I was stuck with five kids on I5 for well over 4 hours. I took the side roads to get home. It took me 8 hours to drive across town. City officials responsible for keeping the roads safe should be all fired and replaced. There is a chronic culture of giving excuses for constant failures. You don’t have to re invent the wheel. Just learn from the many cities that have to deal with snow on regular basis in this country. I lived in one of those cities as so many others who understand how incompetent these people are. We just don’t hold these people accountable.
Put the blame where it's deserved, lack of personal preparedness and lack of driving skill. Take your life in your own hands instead of trusting the government with your life.
@@U.s-epaexactly
@@U.s-epa personal responsibility is first. I agree! But we as local residents pay taxes to cover these these services. Those who work there have chosen taken on that responsibility. They should know doing your job at a high level is the expectation.
They are simply failing us. Even local press are soft in them because it’s a bureaucracy that had rottened the city to the core.
That is rough! I empathize with the stress of having kids in the car on a normal day, not to mention a snow storm. If you have the means I highly suggest getting a pair of Blizzak WS80 winter tires mounted on steel rims for the winter season. I had those on my Subarau in 2016 and even on the iciest roads was able to drive thru. I was actually coming back from Mt. hood when the big snow hit the valley floor and the 84 to 205 ramp was iced and littered with semi trucks sliding. Made it through with ease. Depending on your vehicle it’s 500-1000 to get that setup. But because your swapping tire sets you spread the west and tear on your tires more efficiently. Tires are made to operate in specific temperature ranges. Using winters in the winter season reduces the wear and tear. Using all season or summer tires in the warmer season reduces the wear on those tires. In the long term this efficiency boost makes your money back on the initial cost of the winters. The reason I advice getting the winters on steel rims is you can swap them for free or very low cost at most tires shops. Additionally if you do slide and hit a curb the steel rims can take it without suffering critical damage. Your typical alloy rims are protected this way.
The typical Portland failed leadership. Always pointing fingers at someone else with no accountability.
Twice last year we were stuck in traffic on I-84 thinking it was an accident. When we approached the incident, it was city workers cleaning up graffiti on the bridge beam, IN TRAFFIC HOURS!!! You can’t plan out a better time for these minor maintenance work and avoid unnecessary traffic?
It’s just outrageous how these city officials work so carelessly.
We had this issue a few years back, and school buses were stuck in traffic for hours. You didn’t learn from that nightmare you caused families??
And by the way, we all depend on the weatherman for our individual daily plans. But that don’t mean we base our life’s decisions on their forecast!!
Here’s a simple tip for next time, Don’t just plan for the worst, “EXECUTE THE PLAN FOR THE WORST”.
The city needs to have plows not at stored at one location as a snow storm approaches, have those 36 snow plows strategically placed in advance of rush hours and warn people to get home early or have people stay home.
Hahahaha and who is going to pay for those 36 snow plows and the sand gravel and the hours they work? You? If your paying the 7.5 million for 3 days great, grab your check book I will drive you myself to the snow plow dealership. But if it is not you the city have more important things to spend that money on them snow equipment for 3 days a year.
All of Multnomah County has only 4 snow plows, not 36
@@ladyxixi_Lexi he was saying they need 36 snow plows because the 4 we have is not enough. I asked him who was going to paying for those 36 snow plows
@@hotvwbug9285That would be nice if we could see what those "more important things" are that the money is spent on. Lot of local officials driving luxury vehicles and putting their kids in private schools.
@@barryallen871 I agree with you, Oregon has never learned how to balance a check book the right way, but it showed more after the logging industry took a major dive (now only at 40%) back in the late 80's, and Oregon keeps righting checks and spending money that they just do not have like they did in the good time logging days with the logging money coming in. Now there trying to tax the Crap out of everyone to keep up their spending and it's not working.
They have dug themselves a hole 🕳️ they can not get out of now, now since covid, covid moreless welded that hole shut. They need to just stop and cut the waste those government officials are getting and restructure their spending.
But blaming Odot for this stuff is not going to fix anything, they already don't have the money, and the little they do have they won't spend it on only 3/4 days of snow a year. (Just need to face the facts)
They took better care of the roads when the logging industry was booming. (Everything slowly start to rot in the early 90 to where we are today) hence the new money making machine they imposed tolling all lanes on I-5 and 205 from wilsonville to Columbia river. (What a joke)
This is the price you pay for no state sales tax. You want something? You have to pay for it. Nobody is going to spend extra on snow removal when there is no money for something that happens 3 days a year and there is always not enough money. What happens if there are three warm winters in a row from global warming? Sell the remaining plows and zero out the snow budget because every year is an austerity budget. I would not trust government with blanket spending authority on a new state sales tax either, but something needs to be done.
Can’t be any worse than Portlands track record on stopping crime, or supporting their own police department💯🤮👎🏽
@Toni Dinh Boy what a comeback, you told him. You know nothing about him but you resort to a personal attack because OMG he had the gall to point out the obvious that Portland has a crime problem and their support of the police department is so bad they literally gave up trying to recruit more officers because no one wants to work here at any salary. But hey if ignoring reality works for you go ahead and enjoy the crime and filth in Portland.
Lmao this is only going to get worse each year 😂 Higher taxes, homeless, and lack of weather vehicles, Portland is an absolute mess. I'm soooooooo happy to be moving out of this garbage dump next month. Over this place.
im lucky to live in a state that is used to getting snow, plows are usually right there with when the snow comes. this looks like normal winter weather in utah
My hat is off to many hospital..care home..nursing home..hospice and assisted living facilities that probably put in 48 hour Plus shifts to care for people,.ambulance crews..the list goes on. maybe animal care facilities and the old Washington Park Zoo too..and the people who are kind enough to help stranded and stuck motorists. Thank you all.!!!!
They need to start using salt on the roads.
Damn! This is crazy. Everybody in Portland should just "stay home".
Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and Canada’s two largest cities Montreal and Toronto do a far better job when it comes to snow removal. Time for Portland to learn from Montreal.
th-cam.com/video/HfDZixZFzms/w-d-xo.html Yeah we need to learn from Montreal. I am sure Montreal does a fine job clearing snow, but I have loved this video for over 5 years.
Nice work in reporting on the storm guys. I agree, it did feel like a fail. If there was a road in Portland, the it was full of stuck cars.
Only because people do not know how to drive in the snow. Not Odot or PBot's fault.
Yesterday I spent 5 hours on I-5 southbound close to vancouver and portland bridge, I never seen the dot doing anything! today as well most of the roads are so icy and dangerous.
Having lived with "Lake Effect Snow" for 14 years where we got between 100-200" of snow every winter, you could do what other communities do like have the entire road maintenance department go onto 12-hour shifts during December, January, Februray, and March in order to plow around the clock. The city and county probably need to triple or quadruple the amount of "snow" equipment to ensure that the work actually gets done. You have a published plan of how you will be plowing the interstates, main arteries, and then later the neighborhood streets. On-street parking alternates every day in order to keep the streets plowed. I like the idea of shutting down some of the streets until the trucks have had a chance to salt and then plow. I readily admit that this area has some of the most incredibly steep hills and slanted highways that I have ever seen. This is never going to be an easy job. My son had difficulties getting around on Wednesday afternoon/evening and very few people out here have ever driven around in more snow and ice than he has endured over the years back in the mid-west. The point is that the problem is not going to get any better until the Mayor Wheelers of the world actually do something to make the situation better. Good luck with that.....
All the amateurs knew there was a chance for a huge snowstorm. Stop underplaying snowstorms!
Not saying ODOT can’t do better but if 90% of drivers are not willing to get proper winter tires on for the season then we’re always going to have this. Blizzak WS80’s and on steel rims for cost 500-1000 depending on the wheel size. Put them on in November. Off in March. Your regular tires last longer because your not wearing them in the incorrect temperatures which averages out the cost of the winter tires long term.
I've lived in Portland all my 55 years and the weather forecasters in Portland have always been terrible at forecasting snow. It doesn't snow when they say it will and it snows a lot when they say it won't.
Ok. So everyone else in the world knows you need to salt/cinder roads BEFORE it snows. And for that PBOT guy making excuses saying nothing was salted because they thought it would “only” be a couple inches, someone needs to smack him and remind him that a couple inches of ice is just as dangerous and shuts the city down just as well as the 11 we got! No excuse! PBOT and ODOT should have been out there BEFOREHAND
I disagree personal responsibility and carry chains during winter and actually use them would have fix 80% of the problems on the roads if people did that, but no easier to point the finger at Odot and pbot then take their own responsibility.
When you forecast a storm don't blame the people depending on your information when you're wrong. They are sitting in their cars or houses and can't go anywhere because of your mistake!
Don't blame others for unpreparedness. It was obvious right when I got to work at 10 it was going to snow and likey stick just from looking around I could tell this. Learn to take care of yourself for a change.
Response to snow in Portland is incompetent as always
I think of my granddaughter stuck on I5 for 7 hours and the school buses full of child stuck along with her. The moms and dads with toddlers. It was bad and schools should have been let off earlier and people of work earlier. ODOT and Pdot need to get better management.
You want to put blame somewhere you need to look at the other half of the problem, the commuter ... Where are they traction devises . To cheep to have traction tires or studded snow tires or a set of tire chains. Then too lazy to put them on . But like everything today , they won't take responsibility for their action's.
Lol I saw plenty of cars with studded tires and chains stuck in ditches. And some people can barely afford to keep gas in their car, money bags. But I guess thats their own problem. 🤷
It must be nice to work for the city. You never have to admit you’re sorry, you never have to change, and you never face any accountability for your mistakes. Wish my job was like that….Maybe a little competition in the market place would be a good idea in this area? Someone suggested having de icing trucks, sanders, plows, etc. strategically placed throughout the big cities. I bet there are private companies or individuals who would be willing to house, and run these machines on a moments notice. I saw many people helping tow, push, give rides, etc. There are plenty of people who would be happy to serve their communities during an emergency. We don’t have to depend only on on the city.
Those city workers just got a nice raise too!
It also would be nice to take some personal responsibility and carry chains, and actually use them, that would take care of 80% of the problem but everyone wants to point the finger at pbot and Odot.
Same can be said to the people driving did you have chains? Did you use them? Then why are you driving when you do not know how to drive in the snow?
I don’t blame ODOT or PBOT, the weather report said snow above 500 feet..
The National weather service said snow at Sea Leve two days before the storm hit portland. Again our local fancy expensive equipment is garbage (or the local weather people really do not know how to use it)
Stay at the office. Do not come to work. Have air mattresses and food. I have done it.
Love close to your job no car needed
Portland & Oregon has always struggled with snow & ice… I feel for one they don’t take it seriously as it only happens far and few between, when it does happen they get caught with their pants down in no big hurry to deal with the snow like other states. They typically let it happen then let it freeze and wait it out. Any big snow storm brings the metro area to a big halt… the meteorologists around our area is great at forecasting RAIN not the snow & ice 😂 due to their errors year after year I have never trusted their “expertise” when it comes to the winter season.. Matt has been doing this for 30+ years?? Hmm seems like he started forecasting snow yesterday.. why not be like other states that do better by preparing for the worse and hoping for the best!!!!! Come on Portland let’s goooooo… I will say this when it comes to Portland metro snow, we get a different kind of snow compared to Eastern Oregon and other states our snow is wet and heavy that then freezes so why not use deicer and sodium chloride?? Again this would be preparing for the worst while hoping for the best!! Maybe it is because Portland is too big of a “green” city who rather ride things out naturally 😂😂 Again getting caught with their pants down 😊
Portland loves to the do the opposite of what is expected with everything. Oregon politics in general.
Also, truth is Oregon does not have any money, and we can't afford things like snow plows and road salt here. Everything else is excuses to cover up for the fact Oregon is broke.
@@peterbelanger4094 but state and local officials drive luxury cars and have nannies that drop their children of at private school. 🤷
It’s amazing I even see places like Texas try their best to be proactive, not so much in Portland 😂
Of all places to use as an example you said TEXAS. lmao
One of the problems is most of the people in the valley get so little snow that they don't use studs or all-season radials
If people can't afford or don't have room to store studded tires they could always just carry chains in their trunk they are the cheapest option and also work the best and take up very little room for anyone living in an apartment (why get chains because it's winter and they don't know how to drive in snow) but I'm guessing they are to lazy to put them on or don't want to so they don't even bother to buy chains. Buying chains alone would take care 1/2 the problems of cars getting stuck.
I blame the terrible drivers here more than the city. Everyone should be prepared to drive in snow / ice WITHOUT ANY GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION!!!!!! I can't for the life of me understand entrusting your safety to the government. Get good tires for the winter. Learn to air down. Go practice at the mountain at least a few times so you know how it feels. Buy chains and know how to put them on. This is completely unnecessary and happens every snowstorm.
I think they all got raises also
One thing I see as I watch this, are people trying to get their vehicles moving faster as they start out driving. The key is, put your car into drive and slowly begin driving. If your wheels are spinning, you need to back off the gas and again, start slowly. If you get stuck, do NOT spin the wheels! Slow and steady is how you deal with it. If you get stuck, you need to rock your car. You put it in drive and gently press gas, then as you are moving, put it into reverse, and go easy on the gas. Continue back and forth until you get unstuck. Resist the urge to do anything too fast as you will slide, spin your wheels, or get stuck. Always drive slower on snow, and even slower on ice. Do not get impatient and think you should be driving faster. Slow and steady wins the race.
That was the forecast, maybe an inch!
National weather service forecasted 8+ on the valley floor, only the local new forecast an 1 inch.
I got stuck in Beaverton 2016 and this last Wednesday, the city owes me a stupid T-shirt I believe.
“Don’t worry......it’s gonna be a light dusting.” His one is on KGW KOIN KATU KPTV!
Portland needs to realize that it IS a city that gets severe winter weather. Now that I've moved (escaped) to a place that gets real snow, he's right, Portland snow is much more slippery. Your temperatures don't get THAT low, so things are always wet and slippery, ready to become glare ice. It's also a hilly city, with a population unskilled. It's also a major choke point for West Coast travel; if Portland clogs up it can mean empty shelves in Salem or Seattle. Everyone needs to stop thinking of it as a city that never snows and take this thing seriously.
I'll tell you why. It's simple. I was in that mess on I 5 on Wednesday. Most had no chains or studded tires on their vehicles.
True enough. ODOT and PDOT weren't sanding soon enough in my opinion. But, it can't all be laid at their feet. Bigg traffic jams happened the last snow storm. And the storm before that. And the ones before that. PUT CHAINS OR STUDS ON!!!!! AND Portland needs to hand out heavy fines for abandoning vehicles that have NO traction devices. That would force the majority to buy and use a $75.00 set of chains or pay a hefty fine and tow charges. Snow storms do happen here. Not often. But, they do from time to time. SO PREPARE FOR IT!!
By the way. It was a log jam of 7 to 8 cars were the cause on I 5 at the 405 split. None I saw had chains on.
Difference I've found as a professional driver, is that the folks elsewhere in the country know how to drive and behave in the snow, and the folks here don't. You get snow in Denver, Chicago or Philly, and you don't have cascading problems caused by clueless drivers. Here, though? One flake falls, and all hell breaks loose
He’s full of crap. I was in Mississippi and saw on weather channel’s 48hrs. Before how bad it would be. Waited because they didn’t want to spend the money on roads
I never struggle during snow storms in Portland, I'm always prepared, the rest should do the same instead of complaining about ODOT. 😎 Remember this happens year after year, are you ready for the next one?
I laugh every time.
So your logical solution for unplowed roads and poor miscible planning is that every driver learn how to drive better in the snow.
@@michaellewis8245 yes that would be a solution. Better drivers would vastly improve these situations. You should be prepared to drive in unplowed snow in the winter in the north.
@@U.s-epa I’m from Minnesota. Every year there are accidents when the first snow falls from new residents and the roads are well-maintained. It’s much easier to develop a public policy for the transportation department than place to behavior of every driver.
ODOT saved $1.
Live and learn about snow amen
I saw Max running in the background of this story. I suppose nobody thought of taking max home. Well it serves them right then.
Maybe year 3000
Start requiring winter tires in the cold months.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Pat! I barely made it home from a Dr. appointment about 345pm, & then had a front row seat to the insanity of watching 405, both ways, ok, atleast southbound, and also the offramp of 405 onto 1-26. On the former, it must of barely been 5pm be4 i started to notice that NOBODY & i mean, nobody was moving going North! Then also, it didn't take long at all, for so many cars trying to exit to 26 from the freeway & spinning out, then abandoning their cars. But those leaving 13th onto Clay to so enter, all seemed to make it thru, eventually. So, what's the big diff i ponder?? In any event, i could tell pretty early on, that this wasn't going 2B a storm 2B messed with, and fast action on the overpasses & freeways was necessary, or else! Well, apparently the people who SHOULD have known better, couldn't figure out what an every day driver - could! Close those things down, sand ... the streets & then move along, so everybody else could. Portland is just so cheap! Whatever do they take our meter $$$ for then, if not 4 something like THIS?!!
We all know when/where these storms are headed. Why chance it? Find a place to hang out...and STAY THERE until travel is clear.
They say the same thing every time it snows 🙄
I think the city/state leaders need to get out of denial and realize that this is becoming a more common winter occurrence, due to climate change; how about reaching out to those cities that are much better prepared for winter weather and getting some advice in order to invest in better infrastructure to improve future responses to such events!!!
CLiMet change! LOL!!!!
Or maybe people should educate themselves on how to exactly drive in the snow, instead of pointing the finger at someone else because they got stuck. Hmmm 🤔
@@Obie1844 that would require accountability. Integrity and actual qualifications for the position they hold. Our state is run by virtue signaling schmucks that always have an excuse when the questions start flying. If we expect anything better from them we need to reevaluate our own expectations. Don’t get me wrong, this could have been avoided and handled much better but Portland sucks at taking quality action that get real results.
@@hotvwbug9285 snow is one thing, ice under the snow creates another issue that ODOT should have been better prepared for. They dropped the ball for the 7th year in a row.
@@Obie1844 yes and you can learn how to drive on that here too. No personal responsibility. If you know you can drive in snow and ice stay home leave the road open for the people that do and can drive in snow & ICE.
I guess pointing the finger at Odot is much easier, then an old dog learning a new trick.
The ongoing discussions about global warming make citizens complacent about a strong winter, which should not happen.
This Guy is spot on.
Nowhere ruins a good snow better than Portland. PDOT did NOT do an amazing job, and continues to choke.
Even last night, roads in our neighborhood were largely melted out, but at 10:00 there was a PDOT truck parked in the middle of a crosswalk idling. they claimed they couldn't drive up the hill even though they were on pavement. What they never bothered to do is make an easy drive to one of the many open pavement routes they could have used to get anywhere they needed to go. They just sat there doing nothing.
And no, some of us originally from "other parts of the country" are not amused.
And never ever give yourselves an "A" you fail every time. you don't get a participation award.
And oh, deal with the many car break-ins, and attempted car thefts (mine - twice in front of my house) during the "storm". Your lack of preparedness, lack of capability, and deeper lack of proper law enforcement overall puts us all at risk, and costs a whole lot more than if you would actually start prosecuting crime.
What a disaster.
MUST BE ALL THAT GLOBAL WARMING BRINGING SO MUCH SNOW .😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤡🤡🤡
That is actually true- the changing climate means a wetter climate- more moisture.
@@JG-zf6yl where in Frozen are two different things.
You don't get snow from a warmer planet snow is not warm.
Mingus Mapps is not from there. He grew up in California. Spending summers in PacNW is NOT living there. He said they predicted a half inch? Zero notification? My family even knew it was coming and they live in Idaho. Yes, it was not 6 inch prediction, but even a half inch of snow in Portland is ALL HANDS ON DECK. YOU HAVE to get trucks out there asap! Mingus Mapps was so casual acting during your interview. He should have been cowering under his desk! Your weather man.....predicting 3 inches .he did his job....everyone else who saw his prediction did NOT. If anyone has lived in Portland longer than a decade , they know that the city is just not built for snow and ice. The TriMet spokesperson should have been putting chains on busses as soon as they heard about snow. In 1969...when there were a lot of workers downtown, i knew to keep my car in the parking lot and take the bus? WHY? Because the bus service company knew Portland in the snow. Crossing bridges, navigating hills, meant no traction without chains. Is anyone in Portland even from there? Or did they get sick of the horrible management of the city and leave?
Itsa job with a paycheck that comes no matter what, in a state with some of the most entitled people you'll ever meet, doesn't surprise me
Maybe year 3000 DOT will be ready!!
Government workers always suffer on the job work injuries from slapping themselves on the back for doing a great job.
Or get a better weather forecaster!
I can tell you in one word, unions$$$$%
Why do people pretend this is confusing? Proper equipment to respond to this sort of thing is expensive as hell and we'd use it once a year, which is oddly tough on maintenance. The politician who commits to purchasing the machines is going to lose the next election because their opponent is going to hammer them for wasting money. The govt. can't/won't force businesses to close early and management is loath to send people home for fear "things will clear up". They are afraid they'll have to explain why they put safety over profits to people who don't see that as a valid priority.
ODOT is worthless
A former Oregonian……. I heard Portland planning on changing name to Portantifa. Is there any truth to this? May explain things here.
The government put the money in their pockets didn't have anything left to pay the workers
Isn't it you hope for the best but plan for the worst
Sad. One state away, and even my backwood hick road was plowed before I needed to travel.
Maybe you should worry less about bike lanes, and worry about people that pay road tax.
This is your "woke" city in action. Have fun.
Laughing my ass off.