POST FALLS, Idaho — Some neighborhoods in Post Falls still hadn't been plowed by Thursday afternoon after Tuesday's snow storm, frustrating residents.
A Post Falls resident named Emmy wrote on the city's Facebook page that "we never saw a plow during the first snow and still have not seen one for this event."
Another commenter wrote, "Our street was not plowed at all and is now full of ice." Others called it the "worst plowing response I have seen in 25 years."
The cause for the delays is a new piece of gear used by the City of Post Falls called a snow gate, which are used to prevent berms of snow from blocking driveways. This is the first year the city has used them, according to Post Falls Public Works Director John Beacham.
"The intent was to remove snow berms from driveways for every citizen within the city," he said.
The gates have added more time to the plowing process, increasing what would normally be a 16-hour plow event, like Tuesday's snowfall, into a 30-hour plow effort.
"Our crews are just like every other crew, working around the clock," Beacham said.
Slush freezing to ice overnight has also added to plow times, he said.