On snowy days, we get two kinds of complaints from callers into the SmarTraveler Operations Center.

Complaint #1 – “There are no plows out here, the roads are terrible.”

Complaint #2 – “I’m stuck in traffic behind these stupid plows, traffic is jammed.”

Either way, Mass Highway or the local DPW’s can’t win. People like to complain either way.

As we look at our first rush hour storm of the season, keep this in mind. The plows can’t move any faster than traffic can. If traffic is jammed, then the plows are stuck in the backup as well. It’s a lot easier for the plows to clear the road at times when there’s no traffic. They can plow faster and get much more done when the rest of us aren’t on the roads. If it snows during a rush hour, then the plows have to fight MUCH harder to keep up with the storm.