Shops geared up for tire removal

Sunday may be April Fools’ Day, but if you waited until today to change your studded snow tires, you might be feeling a little foolish already.

Today is the last day drivers can legally use studded tires in Washington state, and if you plan on going to a shop to have them taken off today, prepare for a wait.

In Idaho, the deadline is April 15, but studded spud-state motorists coming to Washington risk being ticketed.

The fine for getting caught with studded tires out of season in Washington is $101.

At Troy’s Tire and Automotive, 817 W. Third Ave. in Spokane, the wait to remove studded tires on Friday was four hours at one point, but it dwindled to an hour and a half by late afternoon.

“We’re just about caught up,” said Tony Blake at the shop.

Motorists waited an hour at the Tire Factory, 921 N. Howe Road in Spokane Valley, where the shop is open only until noon today.

“It’s that time of year,” said Dave Johnson.

On Spokane’s North Side, at Buck’s Tire and Automotive, 918 W. Mallon Ave., the job of removing studded tires has been going on for at least two weeks, said Janie Richardson. She said most customers have been dropping off their cars during the day, going to work and then picking them up in the afternoon.

As a result, drive-up customers only had to wait an hour or so.

The Washington State Department of Transportation for years has been recommending that motorists consider alternatives to studded tires, such as newer brands of snow tires that provide good traction on ice but are also safer on wet and dry pavement because they make better contact with the road.

Studded tires are blamed for causing ruts, creating the need for more frequent repaving.