Snow moved into Akron Friday afternoon, with more expected on Saturday and Sunday. While city leaders are not expecting major accumulations, snow plow drivers are not taking any chances.
“Right now, we’re at a level four which is our highest priority. We have all 52 trucks out right now,” said Akron Public Works Manager Jon Malish.
The crews’ immediate focus was mostly on salting the main and secondary roads.
The city isn’t expecting to meet its threshold—typically five inches—for plowing or treating residential streets over the weekend.
However, Malish said people who live on residential streets that need to be cleared or salted can call 311. The city will dispatch trucks and aim to reach those neighborhoods within 12 hours.
In February 2024, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik announced a new real-time mapping technology. The technology outfitted snow plows with GPS systems, allowing the city to monitor truck locations and residents to check online the last time streets were serviced.
“It sends us a satellite signal back and we can track exactly where that truck has been,” Malish said.