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Delicate Motor Gator can't plow snow without damage unless there is at LEAST 4 inches

ddiiggy

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 23, 2008
Messages
71
Location
MT
I think this reporter isn't having a clue... Bolding is mine.
Gater. Really? Am I missing something?


http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/Bozeman-residents-wait-for-roads-to-be-plowed/36747688

BOZEMAN, Mont. -

Jane Hawks has lived in the same house in Bozeman for 26 years, at the corner of two residential streets. She's waiting for city workers to clear her roads of snow and ice, but the city does not plow residential streets until at least 4 inches of snow accumulate on them.
Hawks said, "Most people who live here have snow tires or some means to drive through the snow, but 4 inches is quite a bit of snow."

One piece of equipment used to plow through residential streets is called the motor gator. The city says it is expensive and delicate machinery, so they have to be very careful with how it's used. If they plow snow less than 4-inches deep, the motor gator can be easily damaged.

"We're going to concentrate on getting people to work, to home from work, getting them to the businesses and shopping areas. We get those major streets done first before we get into the residential areas," said Bozeman street superintendent John Van Delinder.

Bozeman has about 150 miles of residential lanes. It takes Van Delinder's team about two or three days after they first start plowing the major roads to get to the residential streets. He said they can't do them all at once because there is not enough manpower.

Residents we spoke with said they don't always see trouble with the roads. They said the problem comes when it starts to get warm and the roads defrost then refreeze overnight. The roads become slick and cars can slide much more easily.

"When the snow comes for the first time, people seem to forget that you can't go at the same speed that you do in the summer. We seem to have to learn that again every winter," said Hawks.

There's no set schedule for when residential roads will be plowed. It will depend on when a big enough storm comes into town.​


I guess this is what they are damaging, but I don't see how it makes any difference if it is 2" or 6".
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Damage the City budget, maybe...


I attached the whole article in case it disappears on the other site.
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,864
Location
WI
Funny. What do you expect from the bimbo fluff reporter? If that's the worst misquote she makes this week then it will be a very good week.
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Ahhhh???? Is this snow thing something new in Montana? We have it every year here in New York! Well not yet this "winter" but usually would have had over a foot by now. We also so have these new fangled things they mount on the front of trucks called snow plows, seem to work pretty good. As for that terrible damage to the "Road Gator" I'm sure I could ship them a few hundred feet of old conveyor belt from the quarry up the road if they pay shipping.
 

ol'stonebreaker

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2015
Messages
333
Location
Idaho
Occupation
retired
If the dumba$$ running it is stupid enough to roll the edge that bad I can see how it can be damaged. They either have some awfully rough streets or the loose nut behind the wheel is plowing at 30MPH.
Mike
 

RonG

Charter Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2003
Messages
1,833
Location
Meriden ct
Occupation
heavy equipment operator
Funny Digger,just about everything is a bulldozer huh?Ron G
 
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