Many Buffalo side streets are still covered in snow

BUFFALO — The winter storm at the start of the week dumped close to two feet of snow on the city and the Buffalo Department of Public Works focuses on plowing the main streets first.

The city DPW says now that the main streets are cleared it’s focusing on the side streets.

Michael Finn, the Buffalo DPW Commissioner, says, “I think the key is and what will determine how long it takes is how long it takes to work through the issues of cars getting stuck and plows not being able to get down streets. That’s an ongoing effort were working with residents on and will continue to do so.”

However, for city residents living on the side streets, some say they feel forgotten.

Matt Kahrimaniah, a Buffalo City Resident, says, “I’ve lived in Buffalo all over the place pretty much the last decade and the side streets are always last.”

Making it difficult to get out unless you take the shoveling into your own hands.

Matt Murray, a Buffalo City Resident, says, “We have to get to work there’s a bunch of us who have to run errands or get to work. This is problematic I don’t know how you fix something like this, there has to be some sort of plan in place.”

Due to how much snow the city got, Erie County and the state are also helping with the snow removal.

Kristen Pepper, a Buffalo City Resident, says, “Sometimes if the sidewalks not cleared out I have to walk in the street and the streets not any better. Your slipping and sliding all over the place trying to dodge traffic.”

When plows do come some cars parked on the street get blocked in even more.

“I think that’s the biggest problem is these cars the snow just gets pushed up against them and sometimes it’s up to their windows like how are you supposed to get out of that,” said Pepper.

Commissioner Finn is requesting that city residents park their cars on the main streets on Wednesday, so the plows have more room to continue clearing the side streets.

The city says after each snow event they always review the removal operation and that there are always ways they can improve.

The city also says they will continue to work throughout Tuesday night and anticipates by Wednesday morning all the streets except for dead ends will be plowed.