RICHMOND, Va. — After a Richmond woman raised questions about who is responsible for clearing neighborhood streets in her area, CBS 6 got answers.
As a resident of the Manchester Lake subdivision in Richmond for the past seven years, Ann McGehee is no stranger to dealing with difficult driving conditions post winter weather.
"I know that all the roads in here and out of here are hills and was concerned about any ice build up that we might get from it," she said.
When a coworker attempted to pick her up Thursday morning following Wednesday's snowfall but was blocked by cars that had slid on the icy roads, McGehee called 311, Richmond's non-emergency line.
"It was at that point that I realized the city had not done anything to treat the street," McGehee said. "I contacted first RVA 311 to notify them and let them know that they needed to come out here because there had been several incidents trying to get out on these roads in the area and they told me that was a VDOT issue. I contacted VDOT 511, submitted a ticket for them and heard back from them and they said we’re not responsible, Richmond city is responsible."
Getting different answers from each entity, McGehee reached out to CBS 6 hoping for clarification. We were able to track down the latest information.
According to VDOT's Richmond District, they oversee 19,314 lane miles of roads in 14 counties in Central Virginia, that includes Amelia, Brunswick, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, New Kent, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince George and only the primary routes in Henrico. Henrico County provides snow removal for their secondary roads.
However, Richmond, Colonial Heights, Petersburg, Ashland, Blackstone and South Hill provide their own snow removal.
All interstates are maintained by VDOT.
As a Richmond resident, McGehee says it’s frustrating feeling like Richmond roads are often not treated or slow to get plowed in comparison to the roads just two minutes from her in Chesterfield County. She’s hoping with a new administration, things will begin to change.
"It’s a little bit frustrating to know and I’m just hoping that the mayor hears this and they try to set up some type of plan to even out the way the streets are handled," McGehee said.
If a road is maintained by VDOT and hazardous conditions need to be reported, call 800-367-7623. For all other roads, reach out to the department of public works for that city.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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