FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
January 28, 2010

Brining operations underway

CARY, NC – With weather forecasters calling for the possibility of a snowy weekend, the Town of Cary’s A-Team is fully prepared should wintry weather affect the Cary community. Roads and bridges are being brined today through Friday; plows and spreaders are fully equipped and loaded; and Snow Command will be fully operational at 5 p.m. on Friday unless changing conditions warrant different action.

“We are continuously monitoring the weather to respond as conditions change,” said Town of Cary Public Works Director Scott Hecht.  “Our focus is to do everything we can to help ensure that our citizens can enjoy the snow if it falls, not be negatively impacted by it.”

The Town’s 180 A-Team Snow Fighters have over 2,000 tons of sand/salt mix on hand along with an additional 600 tons of pure salt. Also, the Town has 56 pieces of snow-fighting equipment available to clear Cary’s 470 miles of roads, about 118 miles of which are state-maintained roads.

Should wintry weather materialize, Cary’s A-Team will clear thoroughfares first followed by primary roads in subdivisions, then thru-streets in subdivisions and then cul-de-sacs. The Town does not clear private parking lots, including those in apartment and condominium complexes or at businesses.

Citizens are reminded of the following tips during inclement weather:

• Do not park on streets so that plows and other Town equipment can service the area.
• Do not attempt to deal with downed limbs or trees on a street or sidewalk on your own as they may be tangled in live power lines; instead, call the Town at (919) 469-4090.
• Decisions regarding canceling parks, recreation and cultural programs are generally made by about 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Call (919) 469-4061 for updates.
• C-Tran fixed route and door-to-door transit services run on schedule for as long as doing so is considered safe. Riders are encouraged to call C-Tran directly at (919) 481-2020 for updates.
• Be neighborly. Check on neighbors to make sure that everyone is OK.
• Stay indoors during severe winter weather. If you do decide to venture out—whether walking or driving—let folks know when and where you are going so that they can contact emergency officials should you fail to reach your destination. Take a cell phone just in case.

Subscribe now to our free e-mail service for the latest Cary info. The Town typically updates citizens and the media with news releases throughout winter weather events each morning, afternoon and evening. Just click on the green envelope for “E-mail Alerts” on the Town’s Web site, www.townofcary.org. Also, monitor road conditions 24/7 via the Town’s traffic camera system by visiting the wink traffic camera section of the Web site or tuning into Cary TV 11 on Time Warner Cable or AT&T Uverse.

Assuming winter weather occurs as predicted, the next update will be issued around 9 p.m. Friday.

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PRIMARY CONTACTS: 
Scott Hecht, Director of Public Works, (919) 469-4093
Deanna Boone, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 462-3908
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 460-4951