Post Jonas, NYC scrambles to plow snow-in streets outside of downtown Manhattan
In the wake of up to 34 inches of snow dumped on New York City by Winter Storm Jonas, local officials were scrambling Monday to plow snowed-in side streets outside of downtown Manhattan and in the other four boroughs.
Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged during public appearances Monday that there were still parts of the city and non-major roads that needed to be plowed, but he added that the city was working to get to them. Queens was the focus of much of the discussion after residents used social media to send out photographs of their unplowed neighborhoods, but residents of other areas had similar complaints.
"Queens is a mixed bag," de Blasio told NY1 television, explaining that South Jamaica, Flushing, Long Island City and Astoria had all been plowed by Sunday afternoon. "In other neighborhoods, here in Woodside, Sunnyside, East Elmhurst, Corona definitely I was not satisfied by what I saw, and today it's better, but there's still more to be done."
Staten Island also had problems, de Blasio said.
In a statement released on Monday, the mayor's office said that the city's Department of Sanitation had significantly increased its plowing on less-used roads since Sunday night, including a 43% increase in Queens, 65% increase in Staten Island and a 42% increase in the Bronx. The department also hired private contractors and 920 snow laborers to help with snow removal, and is looking to hire more laborers, according to the statement.
For some New York City residents, help cannot come soon enough.
In Harlem, resident Leslie Bartley complained Sunday night that it seemed as if the focus of the plowing was concentrated in downtown Manhattan and that other neighborhoods were forgotten. On the corner of 116th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, Bartley pointed to mounds of piled-up snow at the corner with a narrow walkway for pedestrians to cross the street, and the only reason that was there was because a nearby church had its members take care of it.
On other corners, pedestrians plowed through slush, snow and water to cross intersections. Bus stops remained piled high with snow, she said.
"If I had to give the city a grade, I'd say a C minus," said Bartley, 60, referring to the snow response. She said downtown areas seemed to have gotten better service from the city.
Bronx resident Joann Gama told WCBS that the snow was so bad on her street she could not drive out of it.
"Look at this block - it hasn't been touched," Gama told the news organization. "My car is clean, but how am I getting out of there tomorrow? I can't jump two feet of snow."
On Staten Island, commuters complained that snow remained at bus stops and they had to wait for buses in the streets on Monday morning, the Staten Island Advance reported.
Jonas brought New York City's largest snowfall since 1869, de Blasio said.