Rules to plowing side streets vary from county to county

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - While DPW crews have worked around the clock to plow and salt roadways, many Hoosiers may be wondering why the street in front of their home still hasn't seen a plow.

It's simple, because it hasn't snowed enough in Indianapolis, but it has in Carmel.

The city of Indianapolis won’t plow residential roads unless there is six inches of snowfall.

In last week’s snow of 6.7 inches, the city activated residential snow removal contractors at about 3 to 4 inches of snowfall. Though city ordinance calls for snow removal at 6 inches, it was clear that more than 6 inches would accumulate so contractors were called out well beforehand.

One of the streets plowed Saturday morning was Edie Kalwara's.

"Well, yeah, I am from the east and there side streets you know are plowed no matter how much snow comes down and you always see a truck out there," said Kalwara.

Steve Hardiman with Indianapolis Department of Public Works said, "Just on a practical basis the resources to address the 400 square mile radius of Indianapolis all of those streets we don't have the resources to do it regularly."

However, DPW has increased the number of residential contractors available to assist in clearing residential streets from 91 in 2008, to 203 for the 2009 and 2010 winter season. This is more than a 100% increase in the use of private contractors, which brings the total to more than 350 pieces of additional equipment for use in major snow events in these areas, counting the extra vehicles and resources from other city agencies like Solid Waste, Forestry, Engineering, Street Maintenance, and Traffic Control.

But in Carmel, the city plows residential streets after only three inches of snow.

Just ask Janeen Park who pays homeowners association dues for a private contractor but it was city crews who plowed the road last week.

"You know usually the neighborhood association people that we hire which I can't remember the name of the company they are usually on top of it but with this previous snow fall that we had not this morning but Saturday morning it seemed like the city was more on top of it. I saw the city out before I saw the other plows that we hired," said Park.

Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard said it's because Carmel has the resources.

"And we are fortunate we have over 60 some trucks which is a lot for a city our size, we utilize our water department trucks and some of our inspection trucks from other dept and put small plows on them on hundreds of cul de sacs we have," said Brainard.

Indianapolis plows and salt trucks will continue to do their work on primary and secondary routes, but now residential routes.