POULTNEY, Vt. (WCAX) – Crews are still working to clear roads in some spots after this week\u2019s snowstorm, which highlighted the clear difference in plowing and salting standards between Vermont and neighboring states.<\/p>\n
Nowhere is the difference between Vermont\u2019s safe roads policy and New York\u2019s clear roads policy so easily seen as on Route 4. Driving on the Vermont side of the border on Monday, the highway was snow-covered, but almost immediately after crossing the border into New York, the blacktop was clear and wet.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no surprise to people who live near the border or travel frequently between the states.<\/p>\n
\u201cI absolutely see the difference in the roads,\u201d Joel Roberts said.<\/p>\n
Roberts knows all about dealing with snowy roads. He\u2019s the road foreman in the border town of Poultney, Vermont, and he drives to work every day from his home in Hampton, New York.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see the drastic difference in what our protocol is versus what New York State\u2019s protocol is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While towns are not responsible for plowing and salting state highways, Roberts said he does try to follow Vermont\u2019s safe roads at safe speeds policy on local roads, but it\u2019s hard when drivers see the difference across the border.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, New York is so close and they look so good. Should we be adhering to, should we be trying to do that? Or, you know, it\u2019s a, it\u2019s really, it\u2019s a tough gamble,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n
Vermont\u2019s policy on snow removal has been around for decades. Chris Taft is the southwestern region district administrator for VTrans. He said the policy is in place for various reasons, including the goal of limiting the use of road salt.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us to be stewards of the land and environment, to make sure that we\u2019re not impacting that. And then also having fiscal constraints and budgetary constraints, and it\u2019s balancing those two things,\u201d Taft said.<\/p>\n
VTrans said they\u2019d have to add significant personnel and equipment to maintain a clear roads policy, a cost state leaders maintain Vermonters can\u2019t afford.<\/p>\n
The safe roads policy aims to provide travelers with passable highways as much as possible and calls for clear pavement a few hours after a storm.<\/p>\n
For travelers coming to Vermont, VTrans said they should be cautious in winter conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should understand that there\u2019s going to be a difference when you cross state lines, whether that\u2019s from New York to Vermont or from Colorado to Wyoming,\u201d Taft said.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, state agencies and local towns are trying to make their roadways safe, even if methods differ.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that people feel safer once they cross into New York, sometimes, on the highways or the, the higher-speed areas. But what we do seems to be rather safe,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n
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