QUEENS — Last January, winter storm Jonas slammed Queens with more than 30 inches of snow, leaving many streets unplowed for days — to the rage of local residents.
But this year, the city says it’s better prepared to handle snow storms, after buying $21 million of new equipment, designed to remove snow from narrow streets where large trucks are not able to maneuver.
"We invested $21 million in capital funds to purchase additional snow equipment to more effectively remove snow from narrow streets, especially during storms with accumulations over 12 inches,” said Belinda Mager, a spokeswoman for the Department of Sanitation.
The new equipment, which includes 80 small salt spreaders, called haulsters, and 40 skid steer plows which the city said will better and quicker clear crosswalks and bus stops, will also allow the agency to rely less on outside contractors to do the job, according to a presentation that Sanitation officials delivered at Queens Borough Hall Tuesday.
READ MORE: Mayor 'Not Happy' with Snow Clearing in Queens After Historic Storm
The city will also expand its plan called “Snow Sectoring,” which divides all roads into critical routes, like highways, expressways, bus routes and streets with hospitals and schools, and sector streets, combining all other routes, which in the past were split into secondary and tertiary streets.
The plan, used to determine the order in which city streets are plowed, was introduced last year in certain portions of the city. This year the system, which according to the agency eliminates redundant travel mileage between street segments on a given route, will be employed citywide.
“This eliminates the secondary and tertiary designations and allows us to work more efficiently," Mager said.
The city will also improve its PlowNYC online mapping tool which allows New Yorkers to track which streets have been plowed. During snow storms, data will now be available in near real-time, with plow locations updated several times per hour, instead of on a daily basis, the agency said.
PlowNYC had come under fire from Queens elected officials after it routinely displayed streets as having been cleared of snow that were untouched by city plows.
READ MORE: Accuracy of City's Snow Plow Tracking System Under Fire From Queens Pols
