Syracuse, NY – More than a third of Syracuse’s streets remained unplowed Tuesday afternoon as the city struggles to keep up with a massive snowstorm that began Monday night.
Syracuse city officials said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon that they do not have a clear timeline for when all roads will be plowed.
The storm dumped up to 8 inches of snow on parts of Onondaga County, and another foot of snow could fall by Wednesday morning.
Syracuse is now turning to the state Department of Transportation for help, Mayor Ben Walsh said at a news conference held at the city’s Department of Public Works.
The city has more than 30 vehicles that ply the streets, Walsh said. That includes 17 large city snow plows, according to Department of Public Works Commissioner Jeremy Robinson. The city also activated several small snowplows that don’t always go off and even attached the plow to a loader.
Plow drivers in the city work 12-hour shifts.
Robinson himself was working early Tuesday morning to clean the streets in Strathmore in one of the smaller plows, the mayor said.
“Any city would be dealing with this storm,” Walsh said. “The drivers we have there face extreme conditions and do a very good job.
A city website that tracks snow removal shows that dozens of streets have not been plowed. The mayor said the map is not accurate because the small plows do not have the technology to update the map.
As of 4 p.m., 37 percent of city streets remained unplowed, Robinson said.
Robinson said earlier Tuesday that 21 of the city’s 58 plow routes have been completed. We have targeted 17 high-traffic routes, all of which are cleared, he explained.
Robinson said Monday that part of the problem with the slow removal is that half of the 43 current drivers are new and have never plowed before. This means that some drivers do not navigate the streets as quickly as experienced drivers.
As the snow continues to fall, Robinson said his team will have to balance clearing new roads and maintaining key roads throughout the city.
Walsh said state DOT officials called his office Tuesday morning to offer assistance.
The state DOT told syracuse.com it will be plowing these major highways to help the city:
The New York State Department of Transportation is assisting the City of Syracuse with snow removal by extending plow runs along major city arteries, including:
- Hiawatha Boulevard and Bear Street between Interstate 690 and Interstate 81
- Erie Boulevard East between Teall Avenue and Thompson Road
- Erie Boulevard West between West Genesee Street and Franklin Street
- West Genesse Street between Myrtle Street and Erie Boulevard West
- North West Street from I-690 to Erie Boulevard West
The city put more resources into this storm after many streets were cleared Saturday from six inches of snow that fell Friday night. The city’s DPW only had nine large plows on the road for this storm.
Walsh and Robinson were joined at the press conference by Mayor-elect Sharon Owens, incoming Police Chief Mark Rusin and current Fire Chief Michael Monds.
The city administration offered several tips for residents:
- Stay off the road unless absolutely necessary
- Clear areas around fire hydrants
- Clear roads leading to and around homes for emergency response
- Stop in time to accommodate emergency vehicles
- Be careful not to snow gas lines or other exhausts from your home to prevent gas build-up
Rusin also emphasized that parking laws in Syracuse will continue to be enforced with tickets and towings despite the weather. He and Owens urged residents to park in driveways or parking lots if possible.
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