Editorial: Even in a surprise snowstorm, highways should not become parking lots

State and local agencies have a lot to unpack when they review their response to last month’s snowstorm. While weather forecasts gave no hint of how badly snow would wallop the Portland metro area, the chaos that followed was unnerving. After all, disasters are rarely preannounced, so what will happen when the long-feared subduction zone earthquake hits?

But perhaps the most unsettling part of the snowstorm is that we’ve been here before ­– drivers abandoning their cars on slick highways; students stuck on school buses until late into the night; and a major metropolitan city so paralyzed that it cannot ensure basic emergency services. Tragically, this time, the snarled traffic that delayed ambulances may have contributed to the death of a baby in cardiac arrest.

These should not be acceptable costs. No one is expecting clairvoyance, but we should expect competence. Here are just a few issues that need immediate attention.

Streets and highways should not become parking lots: The Oregon Department of Transportation and Portland Bureau of Transportation both need to take more aggressive action when there’s the possibility of snow. While the forecast didn’t call for the massive dumping that came, it did include the likelihood that snow would fall. So, what does aggressive action look like? As KGW’s Pat Dooris suggested in an opinion piece for the news station, the state and city of Portland could close freeway ramps and the highways themselves so that ODOT trucks can lay salt and clear the roads, making passage much easier for drivers afterwards. Portland crews can adopt similar actions on arterials. Temporarily limiting traffic to clear roads can also make it easier for public transit to operate and to assist motorists already stuck there.

Weigh risks appropriately: ODOT goes to great lengths to emphasize that it uses salt as little as possible. While the state is right to consider possible environmental impacts, it also must weigh such limited use against the severe risk for people stranded for hours in freezing weather due to impassable roads. Recognizing salt works best before snow falls, both ODOT and Portland crews must be willing to be more proactive in using it – and on more streets and highways –even when the forecast calls for only light snow.

Communication must be clear and urgent: Just as local agencies weren’t expecting a dumping of snow, neither was the public. But as soon as the snow started accumulating, emergency management officials for the metro-area counties and transportation agencies should have quickly worked together to send a text message, similar to an Amber Alert, to the public, as Multnomah County did in advance of a 2021 heat wave. It could include a short message about the weather, an advisory to stay off roads and a link to more information, where people can find detailed updates of both closed and cleared routes as well as other resources. Instead, ODOT relied on Twitter and emails sent by the FlashAlert system to notify the public about driving conditions – a far too passive method for such a sudden weather emergency.

TriMet also failed miserably on communications. The agency does not update information shown at bus stop video screens or its Transit Tracker feature to indicate that the expected arrival time could be unreliable due to snow and blocked routes. Instead, riders who have come to trust the tracker assume it’s still working as usual – until they’re waiting for an hour with no bus. It’s exactly in these extreme situations that communication should be as precise, proactive and clear as possible.

And too often, agencies refer people to their websites for more information – without actually providing updated, thorough or easy-to-read information on their websites. The public should not have to work hard to get information.

Community members must shoulder more individual responsibility: While we should push our government to perform better, we must also take responsibility for our own well-being. If driving, keep water and seasonal emergency supplies in your car and avoid letting gas tanks fall below a quarter-tank. Sign up for state and county emergency alerts at https://oralert.gov/. Create a family strategy for where children can go if a family member is unable to pick them up from school. These are important steps that can help people get through any number of emergencies.

Despite some distressing failures, there were countless stories of people going above and beyond to help others in need. Multnomah County employees and volunteers staffed warming shelters that served and fed hundreds of homeless people. Bus drivers worked long hours in intense driving conditions to get people home. A teacher from a different school stopped to stay with students stranded on a school bus. Neighbors offered food, bathrooms and support to drivers stuck on roads.

These are the elements of a community’s resilience. We just need our state and local agencies to more competently play their part.

-The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board