Government Readying for Snow Possibilities

After a record-breaking winter with a price tag for snow response, Toms River township and other levels of government are working to prepare for possible snowy months ahead.

That includes repairing plows and front loaders damaged in last year's Christmas blizzard, as well as naming contractors and upgrading technology on other fleets.

For example, the township solicited bids to retrofit six public works trucks with snow plow equipment at its .

township's contractor list for snow plowing services was also awarded in October, with hourly rates established from $83.50 to $169, depending on the type of equipment contracted (such as a plow versus a front loader and dump truck).

The state Department of Transportation this month announced it's readying for winter storms, via a "new weapon in the annual fight to clear snow and ice from state highways."

Many trucks and supervisory vehicles will have Global Positioning Systems for the first time this year. The devices interact with the other members of the fleet, so storm managers will see the precise location of hundreds of plows and salt spreaders.

The state DOT staff said it's a means to provide real-time information on weather response. In Toms River, state highways include Route 37, Route 9 and Route 70.

“We are excited about this new technology and anticipate that it will improve the teamwork among our crews, supervisors and managers that is so essential to a successful snow-fighting operation,” Commissioner James Simpson said in a prepared statement.  “Storms are dynamic events, and GPS adds another layer of communication that will enable us to quickly adapt our plans to conditions that can change rapidly.”

Now in the state fleet of weather response:

• About 420 state trucks to spread salt, apply brine or plow snow
• About 1,330 contractor plow trucks
• About 120 contractor salt-spreader trucks
• In addition, NJDOT has a pool of approximately 1,500 employees and volunteers from other state agencies to draw from to drive trucks and load salt.

In Toms River, coming out of the 2010 December blizzard:

• 600 miles of township roads were plowed, Mayor Thomas Kelaher said.
• 180 pieces of equipment – trucks, plows, front loaders – were in use to push around foot after foot of snow out of road ways.
• 28 inches of snow fell in the December blizzard.