Rockville Government Closed Feb 14

Due to the impacts of this week’s snow storm, the City of Rockville offices and facilities will be closed on Friday, Feb. 14. Essential personnel must report to work as directed.

Recycling and refuse collection has been suspended for the remainder of the week. Collection will resume as normal on Monday, Feb. 17.

All City recreation classes, facilities and programs are canceled on Feb. 14.

The Department of Public Works is conducting 24-hour snow removal operations and is urging patience on the part of residents. Streets are being plowed in priority order. Primary streets, which carry more traffic and provide a vital network for emergency vehicles to reach every Rockville neighborhood, will be cleared before moving on to secondary streets.

The City’s snow emergency declaration will continue, and City officials issued the following instructions for residents:

Residents should remove all vehicles from roads, including neighborhood streets. All vehicles should be parked in garages and driveways whenever possible.

Residents without garages or driveways, or with vehicles that do not fit in garages or driveways, are asked to park on the even-numbered side of the street. In courts or cul-de-sacs, where house numbers are not even on one side of the street and odd on the other, parking is allowed only on the left side of the street as vehicles enter the cul-de-sac or court. Do not park in the bulb of the court or cul-de-sac.

Residents who do not have access to a garage or driveway and who would like to park their vehicle off the street may park at the following City facilities:

• Elwood Smith Park and Community Center, 601 Harrington Road.
• Rockville Civic Center Park, 603 Edmonston Drive.
• Rockville Swim and Fitness Center, 355 Martins Lane.

The City will plow parking lots at the facilities listed above within 24 hours of the end of the snowfall.

The City’s snow ordinance states:

Snow must be removed from sidewalks, steps, driveways, parking spaces and similar paved areas for public use (including access ramps and curbs) within 48 hours after a snowfall of three to 10 inches and within 72 hours after a snowfall of more than 10 inches. When clearing paved areas, provide a safe, unobstructed, passable path 36 inches wide.

Residents are asked to make it easier for crews to treat and plow roads by avoiding driving unless it is absolutely necessary.

Residents should clear ice and snow from around fire hydrants and storm drains, and avoid shoveling snow into the street when possible.

For answers to frequently asked questions about snow removal visit: www.rockvillemd.gov/winterweather and click on “FAQs.”

Updates on Rockville’s storm response, City programs and facilities and other information is available at www.rockvillemd.gov, on Rockville 11 and on the City’s Facebook page. To receive updates on mobile devices or via email sign up for Alert Rockville at www.rockvillemd.gov/connections.

Information about Recreation and Parks Department programs is available at www.rockvillemd.gov/weather.

To report a power outage, call Pepco at 1-877.737.2662 or visit www.pepco.com. To report a tree blocking a roadway or driveway, call 240.314.8700. For a tree touching a power line, call Pepco at 1.877.737.2662 Be sure to stay clear of downed lines and trees touching power lines.

Drivers are reminded that Maryland law requires vehicles approaching intersections with non-functioning traffic signals to come to a full stop before the intersection or crosswalk stop. If two vehicles approach an intersection with a non-functioning traffic signal at the same time, the driver on the left must yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on his or her immediate right.

Call 911 in an emergency.

For emergency transport assistance, call the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service at 240.773.0027. To report non-emergency concerns to the Rockville City Police Department, call 240,314.8900.

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