As subfreezing weather descends upon Chicago in the wake of this storm the political fallout is just beginning. I remember watching the Mayor's press conference this morning after shoveling for 2+ hours and there was absolutely no mention of how bad the LSD problem was. They didn't show any pictures or video. All we had were word of mouth feedback from folks we need through friends who were stranded on the drive.
Image of stranded motorists will define 2011 blizzard
Some question city's decision to keep Lake Shore Drive open
Chicago's iconic lakefront boulevard — its snow-swept lanes littered with cars and buses entombed in drifts — emerged Wednesday as the defining image of the blizzard of 2011, a scene of slow-moving chaos amid a fierce storm otherwise handled deftly by millions throughout the region.While workers struggled to clear vehicles and allow plows to begin unclogging one of the city's main north-south arteries, many who spent harrowing hours stranded on Lake Shore Drive during the height of the storm lashed out at the city's decision to keep the road open.
"I feel like someone missed the boat on not closing down Lake Shore Drive before it became a disaster," said Craig Close, who was stuck on the road for about eight hours as he tried to make it home to Lincoln Square.
There were no deaths or major injuries on the drive, but there was plenty of blame to go around. Commuters ignored daylong warnings and chose to drive home on a road known to be buffeted by fierce winds and sometimes waves sweeping off the lake. And city leaders faced questions about why they let the drive stay open for so long as snow piled up.
Mayor Richard Daley was conspicuously absent from the public eye during a high-profile city crisis, instead dispatching his chief of staff to take the blame and apologize to those left stranded.
Click here for more.Click here for the "Lake Shore Drive" twitter feed.
No comments:
Post a Comment