Gov. Timothy M. Kaine was not completely satisfied with the way Virginia's transportation agency handled snow removal efforts after last month's historic snowstorm.
At issue was some of the work that the Virginia Department of Transportation outsources to private contractors, he told Charlottesville TV station WVIR. He described the overall snow removal job done by VDOT as "an OK job."
"We were not completely satisfied with the work that was being done by the private contractor. Without going into it too much, on Saturday [during the snowstorm] basically I asked VDOT to take over a good bit of that work and when that happened things started to go a lot better," the governor told WVIR.
Kaine said he wasn't happy with the lack of preparation for the storm or with the lack of urgency plow crews had when it came to clearing the snow from neighborhood streets.
The governor also used this opportunity to blast Republican counterparts in the state, saying that their unwillingness to raise taxes to pay for improvements in transportation led to the plow crew's slower response time.
While many roads around the Woodbridge and Stafford areas were treated with salt and sand following the storm, others went up to three days following the storm without seeing a plow.
Road crews in Northern Virginia first concentrate on the interstates and other heavily traveled highways, putting side roads and neighborhood streets second.
The record-setting storm brought more than 18 inches of snow to parts of Prince William County and the Manassas area.
Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.
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