Snowplows as Rare as Spaceships, as City Still Frozen
Hours after the snow stopped, countless streets around the city were unplowed – causing a dangerous backlog in emergency responses and drawing outrage.
The 911 system was overwhelmed, and sources said it took nearly an hour at the height of the storm for ambulances to respond to strokes and heart attacks. A Brooklyn woman in labor waited four hours for help.
More than 100 ambulances were stuck in the snow, the head of the EMT union said.
The FDNY said that as of late Monday afternoon, it had a backlog of 1,300 less urgent requests that weren’t answered due to a deluge of calls and impassable roads.
Still, Mayor Bloomberg insisted the city had it all under control.
“There’s no reason for everybody to panic,” he said as criticism poured in. “Our city is doing exactly what you’d want it do.”
Across the city, buses and cars were sidelined in drifts, and even snowplows were frozen into place. The mayor said only Mother Nature was to blame.
“Snow removal is being handled by the best professionals in the business,” he said defensively.
“Snow fell at a furious rate of 2 or 3 inches an hour, and that really presents a serious challenge to snow-plowing efforts.”
His excuses didn’t fly where plows seemed as rare as spaceships, mainly outside Manhattan.
“Obviously something went astray this time,” Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz said. “Our side streets in every part of Brooklyn are frankly not touched. Many of our main streets haven’t been plowed and salted.”
By afternoon, the condemnation was mounting.
State Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) slammed the removal effort as a “colossal failure” that put “countless lives at risk.”
He compared the blizzard to the 1969 storm that nearly destroyed the career of Mayor John Lindsay. Bloomberg may have had that kind of political fallout in mind as he hastily scheduled photo ops in Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens.
City Council Sanitation Committee Chairwoman Letitia James (D-Brooklyn) said she will hold hearings on the mess, saying, “It appears there are not enough men and women representing sanitation and … EMS on the ground.”
The sanit workers union blamed recent staff reductions, saying hiring freezes have cut crews by at least 400 workers since last year.
“I understand the money is tight, [but] there are some services you’ve got to be ready for,” said Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association President Harry Nespoli.
He also grumbled that the tires of some snowplows didn’t have chains, causing them to get stuck.
Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty disputed both claims.
“We had the same number of people in 1996,” Doherty said, adding that he pulled supervisors and sanitation police from their usual posts to man plows.
Officials blamed whipping winds Sunday night that blew snow onto roads as fast as crews could clear them – and drivers who got stuck, blocking the streets.
Doherty was among those who got stuck. While checking on plowing progress at 4 a.m. in Brooklyn, he swerved into a snowbank and couldn’t get out until a passerby pitched in with a shovel.
tipshim
One of two things. It all boils down to money. Being the end of the year, he didn’t think we’ll have a snow storm used the money from the budget for other things. Now he got caught with his pants down. Secondly like all other services that he wants to implement on the city, he probably wants to charge each block, for shoving their roads. Also he wants us to pay for the salt. By adding a salt tax. Just like he wants to do with the fire dept. Thirdly this is just a thought since CHelm heights always knocks the police dept, this way he gets his revenge on us. So he could blame the mess on us. Why the streets weren’t plowed, speak to the Vaad of CHelm heights. It is just a tips thought, because in CHelm Heights everything goes. Wouldn’t it funny if it were true. A happy plowing to our residents. Agaijust a thought.
Sue Kohlbeck-Dawley
Woah. Praying for those affected. I can’t even imagine.
excuses excuses
these excuses make no sense at all. it’s already two days after the storm, and the service road on Eastern Parkway is untouched. only one lane of traffic is cleared on the main road, in each direction. This has NEVER happened before, and there were big storms.
The perfect storm
Sorry I side with the mayor on this one. It was a brutal blizzard storm the main roads MUST be cleared and stay clean first so that Drs. and emergency people can get to work.
It happens that we live in an imperfect world and we were handed a perfect monster storm to deal with.
i found one
there is a garbage truck with a plow stuck on sterling street near bklyn avenue. 26 hrs and counting.
to#4
are you crazy? do you live in ny? its 48 hours since the storm and none of the avenues were touched!! those are main streets they did not even have a plow coming down once in 48 hours!!!! i remember growing up you would see them on the side streets during the storm and the same day that storm was over all the streets were clear!!
to # 5
when the city needs to tow cars for tickets they are there within minutes but to tow a car ot truck stuck in the snow 16 and counting
help help
Please people get your shovels, I’m begging you. Start digging out the streets,, I can’t take it anymore. No its not that the kids are home from school, or that sort. I’m stuck here at home, and my wife is making me do all the work that I promised to do in the summer, and never did it. Please help me get to work, and get my sanity back. Do it for the vaad, for the Rabbonim, otherwise I will end up with my Sholom Bayis problems in front of them.
Photoshop...
I bet you photoshoped the pic, no way you would find a plow to take a picture of!!
kate
its an archive photo
To # 1
To #1 – Only one problem with your theory about running out of money b/c its the end of the year. NYC isnt on a calander year, it is on a fiscal year ending June 30th.
Ariyeh Leib Segall
As usual common sense went out the door…!!!
When the snows were first forecast…
the tire chains should been going on to all those city vehichles,etc..bus,etc..
The buses should not have gone out until their routes were fully plowed..
NYPD gets special call out for their common sense in using their cars without the proper equipment..
Duh… they sit so ooo low.. of course they will get stuck in the unplowed streets —duh…
plows should have also been equipped with shovels — duh to get themselves free..
Look Ma– No Brains !!!!
to #8
You have a wonderful sense of humor !!!
When all life deals you lemons , make lemonaid !!!
P.S. I’m a wife , mother and take things as they come !
Enjoy !
Chief Thunderthud
Bloomberg’s last stand! But, unlike Custer, he no longer gives a damn. And Chanina said his inside informant assured him all wpuld be fine today!
Snowplow Spotted on Kingston Avenue!!!
At 12:54PM on Tuesday (12/28 למנינם) the first snow plow to pass Kingston Avenue since the end of snowfall (about 32 hours earlier) was spotted going up Kingston Avenue!
The mayor outright LIED in his press conference when stating the time the snow stopped. I was out shoveling snow in front of my house at 6:00am Monday morning, the snow had stopped earlier.
None of his excuses are acceptable. We’ve had worse snow storms in the last 26 years I’ve been living here, and never did it take over 32 hours for the first snow plow to go up Kingston Avenue (not even mentioning the streets, let alone Union Street).
The buck has to stop somewhere, and the Mayor has to accept full responsibility for this. If it’s the sanitation union’s fault – let the union heads go to jail and the contracts nullified (let them sue). The mayor should also pay the ultimate price (though I don’t know if we could get someone better – I propose putting Giuliani back in charge).
H. K.
Still waiting for my streets in my neighborhood to be plowed. I live in Windsor Terrace area of Brooklyn and the area has hardly been touched at all. I have not even SEEN a single snow plow!!!
Susie G.
Four of my friends got held at gunpoint yesterday and it took over an hour for the cops to show up. Thankfully, they are fine. The non-plowed streets are definitely causing a lot of problems.
Tracking the Mayor-s lies!!!
2:14pm Two additional snowplows just passed Kingston Avenue.
ME!
Bloomberg knew about this……just like everybody else!
Plows & towtrucks should hav put on chains!
noonecanhearyou!
so what are you guys going to do about it???????!
HUH?
Please report
The Office of the Public Advocate is also compiling reports of streets that remain obstructed by snow or abandoned vehicles. After reporting such conditions to 311, New Yorkers should call the Public Advocate Hotline at 212-669-7250 or file a report online at http://www.advocate.nyc.gov.
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You can report here http://advocate.nyc.gov/roa…