It Wasn't HIM--Though Herr D Would Have Preferred So; Then A Simple Plan

 

 

"Medieval Communications" by Herr D on heromachine.com

You worked more hours yesterday.

Yes. My boss had a lot of extra data to go through. On top of it all, I feel a little sick. I told some people wrong. What did you say?

I said that the closing of I-95 looked bad for our new governor. It wasn't him! On top of that, I haven't heard any criticism FROM him, which is a point in his favor. Please explain.

That massive 27-hour debacle on the highway? 50 miles of interstate closed, stranding hundreds of motorists, including a senator? Youngkin isn't mayor yet. Northam, who I didn't vote for either, is still in charge.

And I said to at least two groups of people that it "didn't look good on our new governor. He's not in for about another week. True, he COULD have shown up at the offices of VDOT and said, "Impress me, people. I'll be your new boss in two weeks." But he also could have staged a Twitterstorm of criticism. I wouldn't vote for Northam for any other elected office--ever, not that I voted for him before. Now though, he's proven he doesn't really care. How?

I-95 doesn't close. Not for more than four hours. Not since it was BUILT. How would you have handled it differently?

VDOT has those signs that flash letters on wheels. Drive one past that says "Detour next exit please, massive delay hours to wait" and park it back far enough that it matters. Send out a traffic cop to start waving people around. There's your notification to drivers. It's worked since there were roads and police. IRL notification. Then?

Well, there would be two more squad cars coasting up as far as they could, directing people to turn around and take the detour, flashers on. The nearest precinct house could print out maps on good old-fashioned paper, recommending new routes for people to hand out to those poor like myself that don't have smartphones or those who can't figure out how to find alternate routes. Then the snowplows can work, the tow trucks can work, the rescue people can work--What about those who can't drive on ice and snow? You have made the complaint that many cannot.

Pull them over till the road's clear or a worker can be spared to drive them off an exit? Get them to a motel parking lot or gas station? Anybody wanting to wait right where they are stays in their car in ONE LANE OR ON SHOULDER, WHEREVER THOSE RUNNING THE SCENE POINT THEM. This is not hard. It's TRAFFIC,  for pity's sake! Police are famous for handling it well. Seven state policemen in five squad cars could have handled this whole thing in an hour per half mile, right?

Seven hundred state police?

No! Obviously police have more than half an hour They could be sent there in minutes and clear it out in that long. But if they'd been sent before it GOT that bad? Figure that out? At an average three lanes and an average fifteen feet per car, five feet into 5280 feet goes 1056 times. You said fifty miles, so 52800 cars. At an average ten miles an hour on the shoulder, that translates to five hours plus five minutes per car. That becomes 4400 hours

? I don't mean that many cars. That's like a car maximum for parking. I mean how long should it have taken them if they started while it was only twenty  miles backed up? Say 7000 cars. Go in, turn them all, go back to an exit like I said. At an average two hours [from the VDOT intranet] to collect signs for a detour on one VDOT sign vehicle, one salt truck, one snowplow, four squad cars with eight officers with printed maps and one ambulance per exit, (5 VDOT employees, 4 officers, and 2 EMTs per exit at each end of a twenty-mile stretch) personnel could turn twenty miles of cars on an average of twenty-one mph to turn and thirty-five mph to return to the detour, including merging. They would need to enter each exit each way and clear snow continuously from each shoulder, crossing the highway at each opportunity.  Seven hours forty-seven minutes allowing twelve cars to be partially buried after removing drivers and passengers.

That's less than eight hours for reopening. Well, is that realistic? The map and weather report suggests additional difficulties. Commute and organization might take an additional hour. Human error might cost up to three additional hours and a small number of injuries.

That's for twenty miles? The whole affected area might have taken fifteen hours rather than twelve at double the labor for between 9000 and 11375 cars. 

I don't think it was that many. A request for assistance might have been made.

Not many people are awake at 3am besides security agencies and hospital workers. But a text could have been sent out to all applicants for government jobs and those on unemployment. Call 1-800-HELP-I95 if available (paid) to shovel snow, assist stranded people for four hours RIGHT NOW. Loads of unemployed people don't sleep well. Minimum wage could have been paid to a few hundred people for four hours each. They'd be given a stub saying it doesn't count as a job. How much would that help? At five more officers  / VDOT employees managing two hundred paid helpers, time for the reopening would not likely be reduced more than two hours. The remaining cars, however, might be off the highway.

Why? More people would be less organized, despite the enthusiasm you imply. Some of them would be better drivers. Most of them would be able to help push.

Wow. Okay. Thanks!