Seattle DOT Refuses to Salt Roads

Reason #26 Why I Don't Live in Seattle

If you're unhappy with the job SDOT is doing on clearing the roads, too bad. They're icy by design, or so they claim.

Photos by Jeff Wilcox

It seems the problem is that SDOT refuses to use salt to clear the roads.

"If we were using salt, you'd see patches of bare road because salt is very effective," (SDOT Chief of Staff Alex) Wiggins said. "We decided not to utilize salt because it's not a healthy addition to Puget Sound."

So rather than bare pavement, the goal is to leave a compact layer of snow and ice. Wiggins agrees that the end result is less than desirable, but that they have to be sensitive to the impact on the environment.

The worst part is that WSDOT and other local transportation departments do use salt, so the stuff will end up in Puget Sound anyway.

Read more at the Seattle Times