re: #199 lawhawk

Most of Israel doesn’t have the salt spreaders or plows, because they normally don’t get significant snowfalls. Jerusalem is particularly tough to plow, especially once you get close to the Old City because of the extremely narrow streets.

The lack of plows, the lack of experience in dealing with this heavy a snow, all contributes to the slow response in clearing roads. But the priority (as with most other cities) is to clear main roads first, then secondary roads, and then tertiary roads. Roads that have priority include the main highways, streets like Jaffa Road (where the light rail runs), and roads adjacent to hospitals, fire departments, and police stations.

All that said, I wish I were in Jerusalem now compared to the snow we’re supposed to get here tomorrow. There’s something magical about the snow in Jerusalem. It mutes and transforms (that and I’d love to photograph the sites all draped in snow)…

I wonder if they have plows they can fit to light rail repair trains. Those are fairly effective in use.