D.C. fends off unfavorable NYC comparisons for snow response

D.C. officials said Monday they hope to clear enough local roadways to get the city back up and running Tuesday.

But as the local government and city schools were closed, and the region’s subway system was only partially running, officials fended off comparisons to New York City — where schools, city government and the subway were all open Monday.

“Here in the District, we know our conditions,” said Chris Geldart, director of the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. “But that’s Mayor DeBlasio’s call and his people advising him.”

Noting that major thoroughfares in the nation’s capital were clear, but that side roads were still a work in progress, Mr. Geldart said D.C. officials made the closure decisions to keep resident and children safe.

“Just like New York when you get beyond those main thoroughfares, and out off of the main arterials, they look the same,” he said.

The federal government was closed Monday in the District as a result of the major winter storm, which dropped between 20 to 35 inches across the Washington and Baltimore region.

As road crews work to clear secondary roadways, in part with help from contractors, officials said they are trying to clear entire neighborhoods before moving on to other locations.

“Spreading the resources all over and just barely scraping along throughout the whole city is just not a good way to do it for this storm. … With this one you really need to concentrate resources,” Mr. Geldart said. “We’re really concentrating resources and hitting hard and then moving to the next sector within those zones so that we’re really clearing out.”

Officials are also keeping in place a snow emergency declaration, that makes it illegal to park on major roadways that are designated snow emergency routes. From the start of the storm through 6 a.m. Monday, officials said 505 vehicles have been towed from those roadways.

During the snow emergency, other parking enforcement and ticketing is suspended.