Friday, February 16, 2007

Route 8 Snow Woes


In the winter, it is always an adventure trying to drive to work on Route 8 from Route 910 in Allegheny County to downtown Butler. The imaginary line between Allegheny County and Butler County is unmistakable. It is at Valencia, PA, on Route 8, around the Lakevue Athletic Club/Ice Connection Skating Rink. This morning, parts of Route 8 in Allegheny County were actually clear of snow. Of course, that changed when I passed the Allegheny/Butler County line.

The difference was more dramatic on my way home from work this evening. Route 8 in Butler County was still covered in snow. There were small stretches were the road was clear. There were tracks created by numerous vehicles driving over the same part of the road over and over. But, for the most part, Route 8 was snow covered from downtown Butler all the way to Valencia, PA. After passing the county line, Route 8 in Allegheny County hardly had any snow at all. You could even say Route 8 in Allegheny County was almost dry.

Here are my worse parts of Route 8 to drive in the winter:
1) The hill from the Country Kitchen to Kelly Chevrolet.
2) The hill from Kelly Chevrolet, passing AK Steel, to The Great Butler Mart.
3) The curvy part from The Great Butler Mart to Hansen Avenue.

Why is there such a difference between Allegheny and Butler County? Well, here a few excuses I came up with:
1) Butler County is more rural
2) Butler County gets more snow
3) Lack of resources – snow plows/trucks, salt, manpower
4) It has been so damn cold, no amount of salt can melt all of the snow

I do have a right to complain. My local municipality taxes my paycheck, but the City of Butler also takes a piece of my pie. I support Butler County by being a consumer – I buy clothes, food, gasoline, etc. in Butler County. I think Punxy Phil was seriously wrong.

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