Seattle works to get schools open with ‘Operation Shared Shovel’

Recent snow storms had schools ground to halt over the past week, with ice and snow making roads treacherous. Seattle schools remain closed through Wednesday, and now the city is asking for help getting them open again.

RELATED: Regions recovers from snowstorms as melt-out continues
RELATED: Should Seattle rethink its plans for snow plows?

Dubbing the initiative “Operation Shared Shovel,” Finance and Administrative Services Director Calvin Goings and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan are asking that parents and students alike do what they can to shovel sidewalks near schools together at noon on Wednesday.

“This unprecedented, collaborative, cross-jurisdictional operation will be about making routes to school safe,” said Goings in a Wednesday press conference.

While Seattle Public Schools works to shovel sidewalks adjacent to campuses, the goal is for able children will pitch in to shovel sidewalks around their neighborhood schools.

This operation comes at the direct request of Seattle Public Schools, in hopes of clearing roads, bus routes, and sidewalks.

“If you’re home from school and you’re old enough, let’s do everything we can to clear our sidewalks in our communities,” Mayor Durkan said.

A blog post from SDOT laid out the exact specifics of what’s needed to clear roadways for Shared Shovel.

If you can safely do so, use a shovel, rake, or broom to move snow, slush, and other debris off of the top of the storm drain. Keep any accumulation about one foot away from the curb, as this helps prevent ponds or puddles of water from forming and allows water to flow into the drain.

Meanwhile, SDOT crews continue to work 12-hour shifts salting and plowing roads to get ahead of freezing temperatures and rain.

Keep an eye on MyNorthwest’s school closings page for further updates in the coming days.

“This is an opportunity to get our schools back open again,” Goings noted.

Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest