Feb 12, 2007 11:08 pm US/Central
Heavy Snow Expected, Commuters Urged Not To Drive
Public Transportation Is The Best Bet To Avoid A Difficult Commute In Bad Weather, Authorities Say
by Rob Johnson
MUNSTER, Ind. (CBS) ―
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The Dan Ryan and other area roads were clear Monday night in advance of a large winter storm that is expected to hit overnight.
CBS
With snow expected to begin accumulating early Tuesday morning and continuing to fall all day, if you had to pick one day to take public transportation, Tuesday should probably be that day, reports CBS 2's Rob Johnson.
The snow was not yet falling Monday night, and the salt trucks and plows were not yet deployed. But over the next 12 hours, everything was expected to change. The Illinois Department of Transportation is hoping drivers become riders tomorrow.
"What we want to do is urge the public to take transportation tomorrow if possible. It definitely is going to be a messy commute in the morning," said IDOT spokesperson Marissa Kollias.
If you must drive tomorrow, the Triple A urges everyone to make sure your cars are well-maintained and have plenty of gas.
And if you should hit one of those icy spots on the road?
"If someone's skidding, it's best to hold on to the steering wheel and try to drive straight, don't try to spin your way out of it, other wise you could end up spinning you car in reverse and facing oncoming traffic,� said Nicole Niemi, a spokesperson for Triple A Chicago.
Across the border in Indiana, which is expected to get the brunt of the snow, the department of transportation has 1,100 snow trucks ready to roll, all state police personnel have been called in to work and emergency managers across the state are ready to open emergency shelters and aid stranded motorists.
Despite the predictions of blizzard-like conditions, residents in Indiana don't seem overly concerned.
"I have my truck gassed up, four-wheel drive, I'm ready to go," said an Indiana man.
As of Monday night, American Airlines canceled 90 flights going out of O'Hare International Airport, and United Airlines is expected to follow suit Tuesday morning.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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