Chicago moves 200 plows to side streets in wake of winter storm
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After focusing largely on the city's main streets and DuSable Lake Shore Drive during Friday's winter storm, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation has shifted more than 200 salt trucks to begin clearing side streets on Saturday.
The city sent out 287 salt spreaders late Thursday night, with the city's snow-fighting fleet focusing on the city's busiest streets and DuSable Lake Shore Drive throughout the day on Friday.
On Saturday morning, with the snowfall largely over for the city, more than 200 snow fighting vehicles began clearing residential side streets.
The city is hoping to clear all of the side streets before extreme cold settles in. Temperatures will plummet below zero Saturday night into Sunday morning and stay well below freezing all through next week, so the city will try to ensure main streets and side streets are salted before the deep freeze sets in.
Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Cole Stallard also urged parents to let their kids know plows will be clearing side streets on Saturday, so they should watch for trucks if they play in the snow. He also asked people shoveling their sidewalks and driveways to try putting the snow on the grass, not throwing it out into the street.
To view the city's salt-spreader fleet in real-time, go to www.chicagoshovels.org.
