Despite balmy weather, city readies snow plan
Even though Buffalo is enjoying balmy weather, some city officials are talking snow.
The Common Council on Tuesday will receive the city's snow-fighting plan, a 77-page blueprint that includes a number of changes.
One major revision includes a $350,000 plan to equip every plow and other public works vehicle used for snow cleanup with global positioning system devices. The high-tech devices would track the locations of every plow, allow supervisors to perform electronic mapping, and help trouble-shooters decide where crews should be deployed.
State efficiency grants will pay for the new GPS systems, which should be installed by December in more than 80 vehicles.
Another change involves the ongoing revamping of alternate-parking rules on some city streets. Public Works Commissioner Steven J. Stepniak said crews continue to erect new signs in some neighborhoods alerting people to changes that should make it easier for plows to get down narrow streets.
In some areas, rules that now require motorists to move vehicles to the other side by 4 p.m. Sunday will be changed to 6 p.m. Monday. City officials said too many residents are away on weekend trips or involved in other activities on Sunday afternoons. Also, Sunday plowing blitzes can drive up overtime.
The new snow plan also informs lawmakers that 10 new plows have been added to the city fleet, including five smaller vehicles that will help improve cleanup of dead-end streets and streets with islands. Two new high-lifts have also been added to the fleet.
The city Charter requires the mayor to file an annual snow plan with the Council. Mayor Byron W. Brown outlined many of the revisions when he toured the Broadway Garage in late October to inspect the snow fleet.
Council President David A. Franczyk said lawmakers will likely ask Stepniak and other public works officials to attend an upcoming meeting so the snow plan can be discussed. When Buffalo was socked with back-to-back storms last December, some lawmakers were critical of cleanup efforts, particularly on side streets.
Brown ordered a top-to-bottom review of plowing operations following the storms. The review spurred some policy changes, including revised parking regulations and the creation of a snow command center in City Hall. Stepniak said a second command center is currently under construction in the Broadway Garage.
"We'll be able to track crews' activities from both locations," he said.
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