Winters in the upper Midwest are almost legendary in their scope, harshness and length. Many at Iowa State are from warmer climates, and many who’ve lived in this region for their entire lives haven’t lived in a city the size of Ames in the winter before.

Enter the City of Ames, which often — and sometimes deservingly — gets a bad rap when it comes to winter preparations, snow removal and all things winter weather-related.

That trend, however, appears to be on the mend. After the winter of 2007-2008 degenerated into a slick and saltless winter maelstrom — after the city’s salt contract went undelivered by no fault of its own — the City of Ames has committed to taking definite measure to prevent a repeat.

By switching road salt providers, public officials have at least made a good faith attempt at improving winter conditions here in Ames. Additionally, by keeping all of its salt supply on site, Ames has prepared itself for any sort of winter weather contingency. In the words of street maintenance supervisor Dave Cole, “We are trying to get really proactive and get more ahead of the game so we don’t have to worry about running out.”

“Trying to get really proactive.” That’s a refreshing phrase to hear from a public official. It’s encouraging to see the City of Ames taking this approach to something that has long been the bane of commuters and motorists here in Ames. Dumping the city’s old salt provider after its less-than-stellar performance last year also shows some foresight that, at times, can seem sorely lacking from many publicly bid projects and contracts.

Having more salt on hand doesn’t mean the roads won’t still be treacherous, however.

Driving responsibly can also go a long way toward limiting the volume of insurance claims that result from slick roads. Iowa’s Department of Transportation suggests reducing your speed during inclement weather, as well as braking, steering and accelerating more slowly. To use the DOT’s words, “Ice and snow? Take it slow.”

Giving snow plows plenty of room on the road is also a good idea, as they are often wider than the lane in which they’re traveling, and can do a lot of damage to your average consumer automobile. That’s not good for the driver, not good for the snow plow driver and not good for the rest of us, as a wrecked snow plow can’t be out clearing the streets.

Improving winter driving conditions isn’t something to pinch pennies on. With what is expected to be yet another harsh winter breathing down our necks, it’s nice to know that residents and students here in Ames are being genuinely taken care of when things start to get slick.