Three Days Later: Wayland DPW Crews in Clean-Up Mode

The Blizzard of 2013 ended three days ago, but the crews of the Wayland Department of Public Works remain hard at work.

Joe Doucette, senior foreman for the DPW, said he was incredibly proud of the workers, many of which are relatively new employees.

"It was quite an undertaking," Doucette said. "I'm very proud of the staff. Our equipment took a beating. It was a challenge. I think we did very well considering what we have. We have a lot of new employees, rookie people we've hired in the past year. For a lot of them this was the first major snow storm. They did great job."

Doucette said that during the height of the storm and in its immediate aftermath, the goal is simply to keep the roads passable.

"Keep the roads passable and open -- that's our priority," Doucette said. "Stay ahead of the storm and not lose the roads."

Now that the storm has passed, Doucette said his crews are hard at work cleaning up.

Doucette said crews are working Tuesday to finish clearing sidewalks in town, improve sight lines and further clear intersections. He said they worked throughout the night Monday clearing the business district in Cochituate and the parking lot at Town Center. Once those things are complete, his crews will move on to the town conservation lands and town-owned parking areas.

He said he hopes to have all the conservation areas open on Wednesday.

Doucette also addressed a concern the DPW heard about the plowing near Happy Hollow School. He said crews were at the elementary school Tuesday morning clearing more sidewalks and widening Maiden Lane.

Wayland parent Steve Robb told Patch the conditions at Happy Hollow Monday were "a joke." Robb lives a few doors down from the school and said that he and his neighbors know parent drivers are very careful when they park on Maiden Lane to collect their children, but it's a bad situation when the snowplowed roads are narrower by 4 or 5 feet on each side.

"Those of us in the neighborhood are just surprised that the town did not widen the road with the snow," said Robb, whose children attended Happy Hollow years ago. "It's just something that should have been done. On a normal day, it's tight. People are careful when they park here, but sooner or later, something is going to happen. It's surprising that nothing really has been addressed with this. These are little kids … it's just an accident waiting to happen. I'm just amazed that nothing has."

Even with the occasional concern about an uncleared street or narrow road, commenters on Wayland Patch seem to be generally pleased with the efforts of the DPW in the wake of the Blizzard of 2013.

Anna Roi posted the comment, "Excellent job with snow removal dpw. Thanks for making our lives easier!"

And, in spite of a plow taking out his mailbox, Eric said, "I am thankful for the DPW workers who put themselves at such risk during times like that. Thank you."

Do you have thoughts about the DPW's work during the Blizzard of 2013? Tell us in the comments below.