(Washington, DC)  Mayor Adrian M. Fenty declared a snow emergency in the District of Columbia tonight, effective as of 7 am on Saturday, December 19, 2009. Weather forecasts are predicting as much as 10-20 inches of snow to fall in the District before the precipitation ends Saturday night.

“All indications are this will be a major storm – perhaps the biggest we’ve seen in several years,” said Mayor Fenty, “And we are going to throw everything we have at it to keep the District open for business on this busy pre-holiday weekend.”

The District’s Snow Team (Department of Transportation and Department of Public Works) is launching a full deployment of snow removal equipment and personnel to treat and clear all of the city’s major and residential streets.  That means more than 330 pieces of equipment will be available.  Crews will deploy tonight in advance of the first precipitation to salt the roadways and will begin plowing when the snow begins to accumulate.

“The snow is expected to fall at a fast and steady rate,” said DDOT Director Gabe Klein, “and we anticipate we will be doing a lot of plowing throughout the day on Saturday.  Crews will work 12 hour shifts and keep working until we’ve got every street clear.”

When a snow emergency is declared all vehicles must be moved immediately from marked snow emergency routes.  Parking is prohibited on these routes and vehicles that are not moved are subject to a $250 fine and additional fees for towing and storage at an impoundment lot.  Motorists may call 202-541-6083 if they believe their vehicle has been towed.

“The bottom-line is we need all the parked cars off of the snow emergency routes,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr., “so our crews can salt and plow those key arteries, unimpeded, from curb-to-curb.”

In addition, taxi cabs may charge an increased rate during a declared snow emergency.  The meter is pre-programmed and the drivers will use rate button 3 on the meter which automatically adds an additional 25 percent to the metered fare. So what shows on the meter is the correct fare and nothing more.  Passengers are reminded to ask for a meter-generated receipt if they have any doubts.

For more information about the snow emergency procedures and routes, visit ddot.dc.gov/snow.  The snow emergency routes are also listed below.

Residents are reminded to spread salt or kitty litter on their sidewalks, walkways and steps before the snow begins.  That will make it easier to shovel the snow after the storm ends.

In addition, the Department of Public Works has suspended leaf collection and Saturday’s Household Hazardous Waste/E-cycling/Document Shredding services due to the predicted snow storm.  Leaf collection employees and equipment form the backbone of DPW’s snow fighting team; so when snow is predicted, leaf collection trucks are taken out of service to have plows and salt spreaders mounted on them.  For more information visit DPW’s new Web site at dpw.dc.gov

District Snow Emergency Routes

• I-66 – DC Line to Whitehurst Freeway and ramps
• I-295 – DC Line to and across both 11th St. Bridges to the Southeast Freeway and ramps
• I-395 – DC Line to New York Avenue (including HOV Lanes)
• Alabama Avenue, SE – Branch Avenue to Suitland Road
• Anacostia Freeway – 11th St., SE Bridges to East Capitol St.
• Arizona Avenue, NW – Canal Road to Loughboro Road
• Benning Road – Bladensburg Road, NE to Southern Avenue, SE
• Bladensburg Road, NE – Benning Road to Eastern Avenue
• Blair Road, NW – North Capitol Street to Eastern Avenue
• Branch Avenue, SE – Pennsylvania Avenue to Southern Avenue
• Brentwood Parkway, NE – Penn Street to New York Avenue
• Brentwood Road, NE – T Street to Rhode Island Avenue
• C Street, NE – North Carolina Ave. to East Capitol Street
• Canal Road, NW – M Street to Chain Bridge
• Cathedral Avenue, NW – Rock Creek Park to Connecticut Avenue
• Chain Bridge, NW
• Clermont Drive, NE – Hawaii Avenue to Harewood Road
• Columbia Road, NW – Michigan Avenue to 16th Street (north side only)
• Connecticut Avenue NW – K Street to Western Avenue
• Constitution Avenue – 23rd Street, NW to North Carolina Ave., NE
• Dalecarlia Parkway, NW – Massachusetts Avenue to Loughboro Road
• E Street (North), NW – 18th Street to Virginia Avenue
• E Street (South), NW – 17th Street to 20th Street to Potomac River Freeway
• E Street Expressway, NW – 20th Street to Rock Creek Parkway
• East Capitol Street - including ramp A on the north and from Independence Avenue (on the south) to Southern Avenue
• Eastern Avenue, NE – Kenilworth Avenue to Minnesota Avenue
• Florida Avenue – H Street, NE to 9th Street, NW
• Florida Avenue, NW – U Street to 22nd Street
• Foxhall Road, NW – Loughboro Road to Canal Road
• Georgia Avenue, NW – Florida Avenue to Eastern Avenue
• Good Hope Road, SE – Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue to Alabama Avenue
• H Street – Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to Benning Road, N.E.
• Harvard Street, N.W. / Hobart Place, NW – 5th Street to 16th Street (south side only)
• Hawaii Avenue, NE – North Capitol Street to Clermont Drive
• Howard Road, SE – I-295 to South Capitol Street
• I (Eye) Street, NW - Pennsylvania Avenue to New York Avenue
• Independence Avenue – 15th Street, SW to 22nd Street, SE
• Irving Street - Michigan Avenue, NE to 16th Street, NW (south side only)
• K Street, NW – 7th Street to 29th Street (including service roadways)
• Kenilworth Avenue, NE – East Capitol Street to Eastern Avenue
• Kenyon Street, NW / Kenyon Place, NW – Irving Street to 14th St. (north side only)
• Key Bridge, NW
• L Street, NW – New York Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue
• Loughboro Road, NW –MacArthur Boulevard to Indian Lane and Chain Bridge Road
• Louisiana Avenue, NW – North Capitol Street to Constitution Avenue
• M Street – Maine Ave., SW to 12th Street, SE
• M Street, NW – Connecticut Ave. to Canal Road
• Maine Avenue, SW – 15th Street to M Street
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE – Good Hope Road to South Capitol Street
• Massachusetts Avenue, NW – Western Avenue to North Capitol Street
• Michigan Avenue – Eastern Avenue, NE to Columbia Road, N.W.
• Military Road, NW – 16th Street to Western Avenue
• Missouri Avenue, NW – North Capitol Street to 16th Street
• Mt. Olivet Road, NE – Brentwood Parkway to Bladensburg Road
• Mt. Vernon Place, NW. – Massachusetts Avenue to New York Avenue
• Naylor Road, SE – Good Hope Road to Southern Avenue
• Nebraska Avenue, NW – Indian Lane and Chain Bridge Road to Military Road
• New Hampshire Avenue, NW – Missouri Avenue to DC Line
• New York Avenue – 15th Street, NW to DC Line
• New York Avenue, NW – 17th Street to 18th Street
• North Capitol Street – Hawaii Avenue, NE to Blair Road, NW
• North Capitol Street – Harewood Road to Louisiana Avenue (including the ramps at Irving Street)
• North Carolina Avenue, NE - Constitution Avenue to C Street
• Park Road, NW - 14th Street to 16th Street (north side only)
• Pennsylvania Avenue, NW – M Street to 3rd Street
• Pennsylvania Avenue, SE – 2nd Street to Southern Avenue
• Piney Branch Road, NW – 13th Street to Eastern Avenue
• Reno Road, NW – 34th Street to 41st Street
• Reservoir Road, NW- Foxhall Road to Wisconsin Avenue
• Rhode Island Avenue – Connecticut Avenue, N.W. to Eastern Avenue, NE
• Riggs Road, NE – Missouri Avenue, NW to Eastern Avenue, NE
• River Road, NW – Wisconsin Avenue to DC Line
• South Capitol Street – Southwest Freeway to Southern Avenue
• South Dakota Avenue, NE – Riggs Road to New York Avenue
• Southeast Freeway – Pennsylvania Avenue to South Capitol Street (including ramps)
• Southern Avenue, SE. – South Capitol Street to Naylor Road
• Southwest Freeway – I-395 to South Capitol Street to Southern Avenue (including ramps)
• Suitland Parkway, SE – South Capitol Street to Southern Avenue
• Suitland Road, SE – Alabama Ave. to Southern Ave.
• T Street, NE – 9th Street to Brentwood Road
• U Street, NW – 9th Street to Florida Avenue
• Virginia Avenue, NW – Constitution Avenue to Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
• W Street, SE – Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue to 13th Street
• Western Avenue, NW. – Connecticut Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue
• Whitehurst Freeway, NW and ramps
• Wisconsin Avenue, NW – K Street to Western Avenue
• 3rd Street – Constitution Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
• 6th Street, NE – Florida Avenue to Penn Street
• 6th Street, NW – Constitution Avenue to New York Avenue
• 7th Street – Southwest Freeway to Florida Avenue, N.W.
• 9th Street - Southwest Freeway to Florida Avenue, N.W.
• 9th Street, NE – Brentwood Parkway to Brentwood Road
• 11th Street Bridges (and ramps)
• 11th Street, SE – M Street to 11th Street Bridge
• 12th Street – Southwest Freeway and ramps to Massachusetts Avenue, NW.
• 13th Street, SE – W Street to Good Hope Road
• 14th Street – 14th Street Bridges (I-395) and ramps SW to Thomas Circle, NW
• 15th Street, NW – E Street to New York Avenue
• 15th Street, NW – K Street to Massachusetts Avenue
• 16th Street, NW – H Street to Eastern Avenue
• 17th Street, NW – Constitution Avenue to Connecticut Avenue
• 17th Street, NE – Benning Road to Bladensburg Road
• 18th Street, NW – E Street (south) to Connecticut Avenue
• 19th Street, NW – E Street (south) to M Street
• 20th Street, NW – Virginia Avenue to Q Street
• 22nd Street, NW – Pennsylvania Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue
• 23rd Street, NW – Constitution Avenue to 22nd Street
• 24th Street, NW – Calvert Street to Connecticut Avenue
• 27th Street, NW – Virginia Avenue to K Street
• 34th Street, NW – Massachusetts Avenue to Reno Road
• 41st Street, NW – Reno Road to Western Avenue