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MAP: The Worst Slush Puddles on Upper West Side

By Emily Frost | January 26, 2016 7:36am
 When snow melts but has no where to go, huge puddles emerge at poor drainage sites on the Upper West Side. 
Slush Puddles on the Upper West Side
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UPPER WEST SIDE — After a weekend of frolicking in the snow, locals faced the slushy side of winter weather this workweek, with dirty snow and ankle-deep puddles at many crossings.

Known as "ponding," these corner puddles emerge in places where shoveling didn't happen early enough and the storm drains become overwhelmed. With nowhere for the excess precipitation to go, it forms soupy puddles that can challenge even the the most skilled of long jumpers.

These puddles are not easy to maneuver around for people pushing strollers, guiding toddlers, using walkers, canes or wheelchairs or lugging a suitcase, among other mobility issues.

In addition to presenting problems for people in those situations, ponding is also a safety issue, said Monica Blum, president of the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District. 

The accumulation "forces people out into the streets" as they try to avoid the big puddles, making them targets for vehicles, she said. 

BID employees, local business owners, and staff from the nonprofit Goddard Riverside center and the Department of Sanitation were hard at work in Lincoln Square clearing the area, but "it will take time for the snow to melt and water to drain out from roads, sidewalks and crosswalks," she said Monday. 

Help us map the worst ponding locations on the Upper West Side by telling us on Neighborhood Square where you've encountered issues.

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