By Alexandra Bass SYRACUSE, N.Y. Overnight parts of Upstate New York saw the first dusting of snow. So begins the winter season in the snowiest city in America that has an average snowfall of 110 inches.
How does the city of Syracuse prepare for such a large amount of snow? They start early, according to Tom Rubado the Assistant Supervisor of Street cleaning at the Department of Public Works.
“Early September we start converting some of the trucks over what happens is our trucks are dual service during the summer … they are basically dump trucks and you know we’re using them for street cleaning purposes and we’ll start putting the plows on them now get the salt bodies back on them and getting them ready,” said Rubado.
But using the trucks for both seasons is starting to become an issue. Having them in use so much is leading to mechanical issues.
“Equipment is probably our biggest struggle I mean keeping them running, we need more of a turnover we got a load of old plows that are an issue every year … you know we try to keep them going but it’s not cost effective. I mean the way to do it in a perfect world would be newer trucks every year.”
But it’s not a perfect world. Rubado says he’d love for newer trucks but they have a pricey price tag and in a city with a tight budget he knows there isn’t monetary wiggle room for mew snow plows.
When it comes to plowing the roads there’s a rhyme and a reason.
“We concentrate on hills, hospitals, school areas first as always. That’s our biggest concerns the hills, and then everything around the hospitals, and all your schools. And after those we do the main roads coming in and out of the city,” said Rubado
But Syracuse University Parking has become a kink in their road clearing efforts. Most Syracuse University roads require students to park on one side of the street depending on whether it’s an even or odd day, but student’s generally don’t do so. Syracuse University Student Alex Carlin says she often has to park on the wrong side.
“Usually there isn’t enough parking for students anywhere on campus the only parking is really Bird Library so most of the days I do park on both sides of the street no matter what and I know a lot of my friends do as well,” said Carlin.
While the Department faces mechanical and logistical obstacles they are fully prepared to take on this Winter season. Their salt pile starts at 4,000 tons and will be re filled and used enough times throughout the winter that upwards of 150 to 200,000 tons of salt will be used by the end of Winter.
