Montgomery Co. officials acknowledge residents’ frustrations with snow response

After days of attacking the ice and snow that stopped the region in its tracks, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said he’s gotten the message from frustrated residents about conflicting messaging on the progress of snow plowing efforts.

The county’s plow tracker, designed to show the progress of snow clearing operations, had incorrectly reported that 100% of residential streets had been plowed, Elrich said.

“The tracking system’s useful, but it’s not perfect,” he said.

So, Elrich said, the county is resetting the snow tracker data, “and that level will not change” until the county has completed its work on residential streets.

As of Wednesday morning, Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin said the county had plowed 90% of the county’s roads.

“Plowed streets are likely to still have snow and ice cover, but they should be passable by most vehicles,” Elrich said.

Conklin said his department has gotten complaints that indicate some residents feel their neighborhoods are being neglected.

“I recognize there are some streets that haven’t got the attention they deserve,” he said. “We have as many complaints about unplowed streets in Bethesda as we do in Aspen Hill or Silver Spring.”

The county is trying to weigh those concerns equally, according to Conklin.

“Please know that we are not picking an...