Indianapolis Short 13 Snowplows as Nearly 8 Inches of Snow Falls

Source: (Photo: Eric Berman/WIBC)

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis faces snow removal challenges after nearly eight inches of snow blanketed the city, with at least 13 snow plow trucks unavailable for service.

The city’s Department of Public Works (DPW) had aimed for 70 active trucks for this storm, but at last check, only 57 trucks were operational.

“At last check, we were 13 trucks below our target of 70 running vehicles,” said Kyle Bloyd, Chief Communications Officer for the DPW. “Around half of those were expected to be back up and running at some point today.”

Despite the shortfall, the city has prepared for snow season through training and route practice. “Each year, all drivers go through an in-classroom refresher session as well as extensive route running ahead of snow season,” Bloyd said. “A mock snow fight reacquaints drivers with their equipment and their route so that when real snow comes, routes can be tackled efficiently.”

For this week’s snow event, the DPW is targeting 70 active vehicles. However, the number of trucks available may change depending on truck issues and the severity of the storm. “Some issues may take hours to fix, some may take weeks if replacement parts are unavailable,” Bloyd said. “Some snow events need more trucks, some need fewer.”

The city is committed to getting every available truck on the road. “If a truck can run, it is going to run,” Bloyd added.