Mayor Lays Out Next Phase of the City’s Snow Removal Plan
After crews completed the task over the extended holiday weekend of making all city roads passable, Mayor Cohen has announced the next phase of his snow removal plan: create space to allow for parking along Snow Emergency Routes and residential streets and accommodate trash and recycling pickup.
To that end, Mayor Cohen has laid out the following timeline:
Crews will clear all Snow Emergency Routes curb to curb by 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18
Parking restriction along Snow Emergency Routes will be lifted as of 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18
The free-parking period at city garages for city residents will end at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18
As previously stated, trash and recycling service will resume on Thursday, Feb. 18
Check out the Mayor’s latest video message below. He explains his objectives and addresses residents’ frustrations about the snow removal process:
As always, let us know what you think in the comments sections.
Thanks for finally clearing the snow on Fairhope Court. I can’t believe that the crews were going to leave it half clear, thus making it worse.
You may want to get on the phone and call Buffalo again. I know your crews are fewer, but this is taking far too long, if crews are truly working 24/7.
I am still waiting for Wells Avenue to be plowed for the FIRST time. Cars continue to get stuck. People are still slipping and falling due to the terrible road conditions on my street. Please, I’m begging you, one or two passes with a snow plow is all it would take. I know your plan is to resume refuse pick up today/tomorrow (ours is scheduled for tomorrow), but I think there are going to be a lot of problems unless Wells gets plowed today. Please attend to this issue.
Thanks, mostly. I guess I should be happy with 80%, but the remaining 20% still makes Wells Ave. pretty tricky to navigate. Hopefully, the weather this weekend will finally finish the job.
When are you going to start fining residents for not having sidewalks cleared?
I slipped and fell and was almost hit by a car on Forest Drive because the sidewalks are not clear.
Fines are the only way to get people out and shoveling.
Jesse, thanks for your comment. We have been lenient about fining people for not clearing their sidewalks, given the magnitude of the snow as well as the fact that our own snow removal efforts have sometimes pushed snow back onto sidewalks already cleared. I know it’s a frustrating situation.
The good news with respect to Forest Drive is that I have been in touch with County Executive Leopold’s office and he has arranged for inmates from the Detention Center to shovel sidewalks along Forest Drive tomorrow. A good example of the County and City governments working together.
Josh
The time for being lenient is over. Houses on Spa Drive and even most businesses on West Street have still refused to remove snow. The result is that you have to walk in the street, making it extremely dangerous especially at night. I have almost been run over several times. And don’t even get me started on the houses in the historic district that leave the sidewalks nice and icy. Every snow, no matter how small or large, these people refuse to remove any of it. If you don’t start issuing fines to these people now they will never learn!
I am very concerned about parking. I live on Cornhill Street. The Street has not been plowed and huge piles of snow cover just about every available space. It seems to be the same on all residential streets nearby. I understand that snow removal has been an enormous undertaking, and I also sympathize with businesses who need available parking. I am, however, really worried that when the free parking ends tomorrow that I just wont have anywhere to put my car!! There are a number of elderly residents who just cannot walk in these conditions and they will struggle to get from their cars to their houses if they are forced to park far away.
Please consider extending the free parking period.
Adrienne, thanks for your comment. We are extending the free parking until 6 p.m. this Friday.
Josh
Great news.
Thanks.
Josh–I just came through town and unless they are calling for highs in the 90s tomorrow, your plan to be clear (curb to curb) on the snow emergency routes by Thursday at 8am is a pipe dream.
John, you’re right. It was overly ambitious. We will have the large majority of Snow Emergency Routes cleared by 8 a.m. tomorrow, and we will continue working until all of them are done.
Josh
Hi Mayor Cohen,
PLEASE send us some SALT / SAND and a Plow on BURNSIDE STREET Going toward the CITY MARINA.
Our street is a SHEET OF ICE – we only got mail last Friday and now only get mail every other day due to this dangerous conditions. Several cars have been stuck in the potholes in the 5 inches of ice covering it. Currently cars are almost sliding in to parked cars due to the ice. PLEASE send us some sand – salt or a BOBCAT to clear this up. It may be too dangerous for a trash truck to come down, due to ice. There are 100s of resident that live at the end of this street. Thank you in advance!
Can someone please send a plow over to do Eastern Ave. between 3rd st. and Horn Point? It’s been untouched and vehicles are still getting stuck a lot- this morning in about 15 minutes four vehicles got stuck.
Thanks!
Dave, thanks for your comment. Crews have been working on Eastern Avenue this evening (Wednesday).
Josh