BOSTON (WGGB/AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency and banned travel on roads as of 4 p.m. as a blizzard that could bring nearly 3 feet of snow to the region began to intensify.
Patrick said as the storm gains strength it will bring “extremely dangerous conditions” with bands of snow dropping up to two to three inches per hour at the height of the blizzard, prompting whiteout conditions.
Patrick said the travel ban will apply statewide and bans all motor vehicle traffic on all state roads until the ban is lifted. The ban doesn’t apply to public safety workers and utility workers, or employees of other public and private sectors that provide critical services, like health care, hospitals, and fuel.
The Mass. Emergency Management Agency provides this explanation of the exceptions:
“There are exceptions for public safety vehicles and public safety workers, including contract personnel; public works vehicles and public works workers, including contract personnel; government officials conducting official business; utility company vehicles and utility workers; healthcare workers who must travel to and from work in order to provide essential health services; news media; travel necessary to maintain and deliver critical private sector services such as energy, fuel supplies and delivery, financial systems and the delivery of critical commodities; travel to support business operations that provide critical services to the public, including gasoline stations, food stores and hardware stores.”
With the ban, the Governor wants to “emphasize how critical it is that non-essential travel cease.”
The penalty during a State of Emergency, under the Civil Defense Act, is punishable by up to a $500 fine and/or one year in jail.
Richard Davey, secretary of transporation, says that the toll-takers on the Mass. Pike are being sent home at 2:00 p.m. He also says that 1,600 pieces of equipment ready to clear the state’s roadways, and he says that number will reach about 4,000.
One thousand National Guard members have already been mobilized, and Patrick expects that number to climb to about 5,000 as the storm continues to churn over the region.
Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Richard Sullivan says that his agency has been in constant contact with utility crews and that many of them are beginning to implement their storm response plans, which were required to be filed with the state 72 hours ahead of a storm’s arrival.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Super illegal…
Yeah at 4 no vehicles should be on the road, or can be fined, what if you have to work or on your way home from work!!
What about people getting home at work? this makes no sense to me.
I was over on Worcester St before it started to come down, A DPW truck was going about 55 mph ,Was salting the road.. everything hit the cars ,Maybe THEY should slow down
or have to go to the emergency room?
Well u have legitmite excuse going home from work. U should be just fine
dont know who to contact
^this is the governor’s way of telling your employer to let you out early and shut down for business. The article states that workers in “essential/emergency” lines of work are exempt from this ban…
Um yeah…all our stores are closing at 5…you will have tons of people driving home at 4 and after…good luck with that.
Tell that to corporate I still have to go waitress
Sence we are under a state of emergency when will the close down the towns so the poor 3rd shift people wont have to walk sence no one allowed on the roads after 4pm?
Ugh!!! Does this mean no Domino’s tonight
does this apply to state highways only or all roads? my fiance has to go to work tonight, not going isn’t an option for him.
It’s for all roads, but also not legal!! Common sense would say don’t drive if you don’t have to but, we technically still should have the right to!!
In a state of emergency…governor can impose those rules….having said that, I could see if it were 1978 when we all had rear wheel drives and barely anyone had a 4×4…. And we didnt have cell service…but todays world is much different… People should use common sense and not go out, but if they want to, they should not have the government limit them.
Oh please.
He’s the Governor he can do as wishes to protect the people….
Really? Did you just say that??? The Governor may not just “do as he pleases”. He is an elected official The executive order power was granted the high ranking executive office to be used with great reserve in extremes. Now the Connecticut Governor followed suit. You do not speak to, behave like, or hoard over your constituents an authoritarian attitude. The fact that you are not alarmed in the least by the action or the language just goes to show how very little the newer generations understands about what it takes to remain a people with rights and privileges.
I wouldn’t go out in this storm but the idea of being told I can’t is unsettling to say the least.
DEMOCRATS SAVING US FROM OURSELVES… Please come change my diaper, its full…. before 4 anyway
shawnm2 commented on WGGB Springfield:
He’s the Governor he can do as wishes to protect the people….
shawnm2 commented on WGGB Springfield:
He’s the Governor he can do as wishes to protect the people….
shawnm2 commented on WGGB Springfield:
He’s the Governor he can do as wishes to protect the people….
Maybe there should be a standard practice for employers who penalize workers that “call out” or fail to show up during weather deemed a “state of emergency”. Some people have to go to work as they have to relieve others so that they can go home. This puts all AT RISK…….smh
Well I drive a propain tanker and thank God I’m not on call this weekend because we still have to go if out if called
I wouldn’t go out in this storm but the idea of being told I can’t is unsettling.
@alpinequeen you should love this weather since your an alpine queen aka skier
A cop stopped in my wife’s store earlier and she asked about the ban. He told her he wasn’t aware we were under Marshall Law and said the ban was unenforceable….said its put in place simple to scare people off the road.
the governor is a jerk, he should be impeach
Really just let him do his job and shut up. If he didn’t warn people off the road you all would be complaining that he doesn’t care if people get hurt. You probably shouldn’t be out joy riding in a storm anyways just common sense.