It was a relatively quick and quiet storm that passed through Dartmouth over the Feb. 8 and 9 weekend, thanks in part to the work of the Department of Public Works. 

Though the storm was the biggest the town’s seen this season, cumulating 3 inches, the majority of it fell overnight, meaning there were few individuals traveling on the road. 

With over 210 miles of pavement in town, the crews worked from around 7 p.m. Saturday night to early morning Sunday, returning at other times to further treat the roads and prevent the formation of ice.

“The crew did a great job,” said Public Works Director Tim Barber. “We had enough of a forecast that we were ready.”

All three of the town’s fire districts and the police department reported no major accidents or incidents as a result of the weekend’s weather conditions.

“I give props to the Department of Public Works,” said Fire District 1 Chief Peter Andrade. “The roads were clear. We didn’t have any issue at all, so these guys did a good job coming in early and getting the roads cleared for any kind of first responders.”

However, the Department of Public Works did run into a number of challenges, including a number of cars not following the town’s parking ban, according to Police Chief Brian Levesque. Those who don’t follow the ban are subject to parking violations and/or towing.

“We are looking at doing more enforcement if there are any future parking bans,” he said. In addition to being dangerous, “it does make it extremely difficult for DPW to get these roads cleared.”

Levesque said another common issue during the storms is property owners failing to clear their sidewalks. 

“This is especially concerning in areas where there is pedestrian traffic,” he added, noting places such as schools, along Route 6 and in Padanaram.

“There are people who walk up and down Route 6 and it’s very dangerous to have to walk in the road,” Barber said.