BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — As promised, the City of Buffalo has been conducting an all-out snow removal blitz in the hardest-hit areas of south Buffalo and Kaisertown.
“We’ve been through every street,” remarked Nathan Marton, commissioner, Department of Public Works, City of Buffalo.
An effort started Thursday night, but the city was forced to conduct mini tows of vehicles on side streets in order to haul out those huge piles of snow.
“We did have a lot of mini tows. Now most of those, I think, were just literally mini tows up and down the street, maybe from one side to the other side. That’s all we needed to get to the streets,” described Marton.
Commissioner Marton met me off Clinton Street Friday morning. I told him some south Buffalo residents tell us they're still waiting to be cleared out.
“I can't argue that we're not on every street every moment of the day. You're not going to see clear pavement, even the one that was clear last night is now going to be snowed over by the end of the day,” responded Marton.
The city’s major snow removal effort underway in south Buffalo. Heavy equipment removing snow along side streets off of Clinton. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/r4BaTDtn9j
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) January 19, 2024
This all-out, snow removal blitz was able to clean a street -- like Spann Street off of Clinton right down to the pavement.
“I think they did a phenomenal job. Phenomenal. Not only is it coming from me, but it's other customers coming here. They said they're doing a great job. Last year wasn't so great, but this year. Phenomenal,” remarked Thomas Vega, south Buffalo resident.
Vega, who manages a laundry mat on Clinton Street in Kaisertown, had rave reviews of the city's snow removal in his neighborhood.
“From what I saw on Ch. 7, with the mayor and that, communication seemed, in my opinion, to be the problem last year. This year they communicated better,” Vega reflected.
The city is footing the bill for those mini tows.
“But for us, it's not about penalizing a community member in this case. Five feet of snow is hard to deal with,” declared Marton.
“It seems to be with the snow, people don't want to get out of the house. They don't want to move their vehicle, so it falls on the citizen. It doesn't fall on the city,” replied Vega.
“How have you been navigating through this storm?” Buckley asked. “Ahh, my feet! My feet!” answered Vega.
Vega doesn't drive but has navigated Buffalo snowstorms his entire life.
“Born and raised in Buffalo, so this is the norm for me. You know, it's like living in the Arctic,” Vega stated.
