This past weekend dropped a record amount of snow in Syracuse, NY putting the new expanded sidewalk clearing processes to the test. Over a foot of snow accumulated in under three days while JSK Snow Services worked over 200 man hours to clear over 44 miles of sidewalk, according to Vice President of JSK Snow Services Nick Henry.
Henry said that this storm was a good test for the new routes, but believes his team is prepared for much larger storms. Henry said he and his team can handle “as much as mother nature can throw at us,” and continued that the only restriction is the amount of qualified operators.
JSK Snow Services has been the go-to private contract holder for snow clearing in the city of Syracuse for the past few years. This last contract expansion cost the City of Syracuse an additional $250 thousand. This helped JSK purchase an additional three custom built sidewalk plows bringing their total to five plows. According to Henry these plows can cost anywhere from $50 thousand to $60 thousand to purchase without operating costs.
Currently JSK Snow Services does not handle ice coverage on sidewalks. Henry stated that adding ice treatment to the contract could double or as much as triple the current plowing contract. Henry also noted that the biggest challenge his crew faces is obstacles in their plowing path. Henry asked that everyone clear their sidewalks of trashcans and other private property.
