Detroit neighborhood streets to be cleared by midnight

Detroit neighborhood streets not yet plowed will be cleared by midnight tonight, even as city crews are still out clearing some major streets after a winter storm dumped as much as 16.7 inches of snow in parts of southeast Michigan.

"We have a plan, and we're executing the plan," the city's chief operating officer, Gary Brown, told reporters this morning at a news briefing at a Department of Public Works yard at I-94 and Russell. "While it may have taken a little longer than we'd like – we'd like to get done in 12 hours – this is an unprecedented amount of snow."

The storm was the region's third-heaviest snowfall in recorded history. Brown praised city crews plowing and salting major roads along with private contractors the city hires when 4 or more inches of snow falls to clear out residential streets. Brown said crews have been working overtime since the snowstorm hit metro Detroit early Sunday morning.

As of 10 a.m. today, the city said, residential plowing had been completed in all but three areas of the city: the southwest side west of Dix and Livernois; the northeast side between John R and Van Dyke north of I-94, and a small section of the west side north of I-96 between Livernois and Ardmore.

Still, Brown acknowledged that crews had work to do. Major mile roads such as McNichols were mostly cleared and salted, but smaller roads like State Fair and Nevada had sections that appeared to have been plowed only once, with several inches of snow on the pavement and traffic driving in two-track ruts.

Brown urged residents to move cars off streets, and homeowners and businesses to clear sidewalks so that people aren't forced to walk on streets. He said the city was working closely with Detroit Public Schools officials to make sure streets and sidewalks near schools were cleared in time for classes to resume Wednesday.

More snow is in the forecast. The National Weather Service was predicting another 2-3 inches of snow overnight tonight, and possibly two more inches of snow Wednesday night.

Brown said crews will plow major streets for tonight's snow, but will only go back into neighborhoods if the additional 2 inches of snow falls Wednesday evening. The city's policy is to plow neighborhoods only if four or more inches of snow has fallen.

Residents with complaints about snow plowing may file a report at www.detroitmi.gov or call the city ombudsman's office at 313-224-6000.

Contact Matt Helms: 313-222-1450 or mhelms@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @matthelms.