Youngstown, YSU Partner to Examine Snow Plow Routes

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Following the snowstorm Jan. 19 and 20 that left Youngstown’s roads in rough shape for days afterward, the city of Youngstown is partnering with Youngstown State University to examine the city’s snow and ice control routes.

According to Kevin Flinn, the city’s commissioner of buildings and grounds, the routes have not been updated in more than 30 years. In that time, at least 20 roads within the city have been closed.

The city will work with YSU’s Thomas Wakefield, chairman of the mathematics and statistics department, and his Topics in Mathematical Modeling class to study the routes.

“They will be examining these over the next semester and the new routes will be ready for the fall of 2019,” Flinn said in a release. “This will help our drivers be more efficient when clearing roadways during inclement weather. Although these new snow routes may not be ready for this winter season, they will be very beneficial to the city for years to come.”

The snowfall the weekend of Jan. 19 and 20 totaled as much as 18 inches in parts of the Mahoning Valley, according to the National Weather Service. Road crews in Youngstown were working on clearing the city’s roads into the night of Jan. 22.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.