Chicago Selects Six New Snowplow Names, Including "Abolish ICE"
Chicago residents have selected six new names for the city's snowplows as part of its annual "You Name A Snowplow" contest. The Department of Streets and Sanitation announced the winning names on Monday after a two-week public voting period.
This marks the fourth year of the contest, which invites Chicagoans to submit name ideas. The city then selects the top 25 submissions for a public vote.
Six New Plow Names Revealed
The chosen names are: "Abolish ICE", "Stephen Coldbert", "Pope Frío XIV", "The Blizzard of Oz", "Svencoolie", and "Caleb Chilliams".
Submissions including "Abolish ICE" and similar themes constituted nearly 80 percent of all entries.
Record Participation in This Year's Vote
The city reported record participation with 13,300 name entries and 39,000 voters. "Chance the Scraper" received an honorable mention, narrowly missing a winning spot.
Mayor Brandon Johnson commented on the creativity and civic engagement shown by the participants.
Plows to Display Winning Monikers
Each winning name will be displayed on a snowplow in one of Chicago’s six snow districts. Individuals who initially submitted the winning names will have the opportunity for a photo with the named snowplow and receive city merchandise.
These newly named vehicles will be part of a fleet of over 300 salt spreaders that manage 9,400 lane miles during winter weather events. The city's real-time plow tracker allows residents to monitor all plows, including the recently named ones.