Snow Job or What?

CREST HAVEN – You’ve heard of an “atomic fly swatter?” Here’s New Jersey’s sequel, “atomic snow plow.” Amazingly, it starts with an “A” as in Assembly bill A2361, introduced Feb. 4, sponsored by Assemblywoman Valeria Vainieri Huttle of Bergen County, where it snows much more than in Cape May County.
The bill was sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee April 4.
The proposal would prohibit snowplow operators from “depositing snow in front of certain access points used by persons with disabilities.”
“It’s probably one of the worst pieces of legislation I can remember,” said Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton.
Sounds good, until cost is calculated.
According to County Engineer Dale Foster, who spotted the bill in the Statehouse News published by the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC), and who reported the measure to freeholders April 12, to implement the bill would cost $28 million, estimated by NJAC.
The amount stemmed after a calculation that included Essex County’s 220 handicap ramps. To clear those of snow, within 24 hours of a snowfall, would cost $1.4 million per season. That county has about 30 measurable snow storms, he said.
Mercer County estimated $852,000 for each measurable snow storm.
“We have over 2,540 access ramps within the county road right-of-way,” said Foster. “We would actually be spending more time clearing the handicap access ramps than we would be clearing the roadways.”
“As you can see it would be rather costly,” Foster added. “We don’t have the personnel to be able to do all this,” he continued. “It’s a monumental undertaking for us to do that.”
“There is no way that we could comply that I could see to clear that many driveways,” added Thornton.
He continued the Legislature “likes to put through these feel-good things.” Thornton said NJAC plans to “take a strong position” opposing the bill.
“I would assume that municipalities would be impacted on this also. Every municipality would be responsible for clearing driveways of the handicapped,” said Thornton.
The bill provides that “The operator of any snowplow or other equipment used for the removal of snow on a public roadway, public walkway, or on private property open to the public or to which the public is invited, shall not deposit, or cause to be deposited snow on any properly marked access ramp, curb cut, special parking space, or other improvement designed to provide access to persons with disabilities.
“If snow is obstructing any properly marked access ramp, curb cut, special parking space, or other improvement designed to provide access to persons with disabilities, it shall be removed within 24 hours after the weather condition causing the snow ceases.
“An operator of any snowplow or other snow removal equipment who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be fined $250 for the first offense and $500 for each subsequent offense.”