Road crews are vital in stormy weather

The entire region was hit with one of the worst snowstorms to visit Northeasterners in a long time last weekend, and boy was it a doozy! While the deep drifts of white stuff had most homeowners staying safe and snug indoors, eventually they had to venture outside to shovel their cars free, snowblow their driveways and rake off their rooftops. The real mess, however, was left to be dealt with by highway crews responsible for ensuring roads were safe for those who needed to get from point A to point B.Whether from a local town or village highway department or from the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), the workers who head out in the worst weather conditions time and again to battle it out with Mother Nature deserve our thanks and, to be frank, our respect.With snow and ice pelting our Harlem Valley roads, highway crews put their own safety in peril to make sure we stay safe. For one, they drive to and fro, applying salt and sand to pavement to prevent cars from hydroplaning and running off the road. They also drive their plow trucks systematically wherever traffic may go — from silent streets to popular thoroughfares — all in anticipation of drivers who might for whatever reason have to risk traveling on a stormy night.Planning for nature’s wrath doesn’t come for free. Our towns all have highway departments led by highway superintendents — all of whom carefully plan and diligently budget throughout the year in preparation for such catastrophic events. Attend any town board meeting during the year and chances are the highway superintendent will be there, waiting to present his monthly report, full of expenditure lists, purchase proposals, bid prices, etc. At budget time it’s the highway department that towns make sure are covered financially. It’s one of a municipality’s most important departments, not just because it has one of the largest budgets but because it affects everyone, everyday. Hopefully it’s one town service taxpayers don’t mind supporting, because a highway department’s work really is indispensable.Sure, road crews make travel possible during and following a winter storm. But think about firetrucks and ambulances. Without clear roads, how would emergency vehicles get around?So while most of us were trying to stay warm and dry during this latest storm, heralded as an historic winter blizzard event in some Northeastern states, and likewise trying to stay off the roads, take a moment to think about those whose jobs required exactly the opposite. Think about those who had to take to the roads to ensure they were drivable — that they were safe — for you, your family, your neighbors and your friends. If you get the opportunity, say a word of thanks to those highway crews. Their jobs are not easy and perhaps not glamorous, but they’re certainly important. And in a world where so often hard work and dedication get overlooked, it’s nice to let people know they’re appreciated and what they do matters.