Blizzard 2015 Boston

[IslandTractor]

I've seen numerous stories in our local news on the parking situation in the Boston neighborhoods, and some on emergency response problems. But I've seen very little about other essential services. Having a hard time even imagining how basic trash collection is being managed at this point. Even if the trucks can make it through the streets, where are residents able to put the trash and recyclables for pickup? The cleared walkways in front of the homes look ridiculously narrow between the drifts. Also wondering how the thousands of UPS, FedEx and USPS parcel deliveries are being made? To say nothing of delivery and pickup of bigger stuff.

I have been stuck on a side street in Cambridge behind a garbage truck. Usually the guys are good about pulling over so traffic can pass but now the truck is essentially as wide as the plowed street. Waiting for them at every single residence is a drag!

I've seen UPS trucks, which usually pull up to the curb, simple pull into a driveway to avoid blocking traffic. Makes sense and nobody seems to mind. USPS truck still stops on the road in front of our house but there are two lanes so traffic can get by. I shovelled out a narrow passage way so the mailman can just step out of the truck, through the snow bank and up our walkway. He thanked me. Otherwise he has to walk back on the street to come up the driveway.

By the way, it has started snowing here again.

 

[Garandman]

Snowiest cities over 100,000 population in the US.
1. Worcester 112.2,
2. Lowell, MA 111.7
3. Syracuse, NY 108.5
4. Buffalo, NY 104.8
5. Boston, MA 103.9
6. Erie, PA 103.0
7. Rochester, NY 89.8
8. South Bend, IN 79.2
9. Grand Rapids, MI 75.0
10. Lakewood, CO 67.7

12. Providence, RI 64.4
14. Hartford, CT 57.7
16. Bridgeport, CT 46.0

 

[GolfAddict]

Who was 11??

 

[Garandman]

Current Top 25 Snowiest US Cities | Golden Snow Globe National Snow Contest Snowiest US City Pop 100,000+

 

[IslandTractor]

Who was 11??

Poor Cleveland never gets the respect it deserves.

 

[Garandman]

Poor Cleveland never gets the respect it deserves.

Actually, I believe it does. :RIMSHOT:

 

[IslandTractor]

Actually, I believe it does. :RIMSHOT:

That's not nice. There are very nice people in Cleveland and they have the Rock and Roll hall of fame too.

 

[Garandman]

Just looked at the numbers. In a normal winter we would get an additional 10" of snow from now to the end of the season. Last year we got just about that. So with only a little over 3" to break the all-time record I think that's going to be a safe bet.

 

[IslandTractor]

Just looked at the numbers. In a normal winter we would get an additional 10" of snow from now to the end of the season. Last year we got just about that. So with only a little over 3" to break the all-time record I think that's going to be a safe bet.

Agree.

I have been impressed by the fact that two weeks after our last "big" snowstorm, local traffic is still completely snarled every morning and evening. The backups are adding a solid half hour to a daily commute from Winchester to Cambridge or Boston which is only about a ten mile drive and typically takes 30-40 minutes even at rush hour. It has taken over an hour every day since the snows began. No problem understanding that initially with plows still clearing the streets but it is remarkable to me at least that two weeks later it hasn't improved. The backups are not only in the more congested cities like Cambridge or Boston or Somerville. We have traffic in a green leafy suburb like Winchester and also in Medford and Arlington that is very unusual. As best I can tell, all two lane roads on our route now have both lanes open and the only areas that are really still directly limited by snow are the single lane neighborhood roads. Still, traffic is snarled. I'd love to hear a professional traffic engineer's perspective on what has been happening.

And, tomorrow AM will be a disaster as we are due for sleet and freezing rain as well as some snow overnight. That at least is understandable and typical.

 

[Threepoint]

I've seen numerous stories in our local news on the parking situation in the Boston neighborhoods, and some on emergency response problems. But I've seen very little about other essential services. Having a hard time even imagining how basic trash collection is being managed at this point. Even if the trucks can make it through the streets, where are residents able to put the trash and recyclables for pickup? The cleared walkways in front of the homes look ridiculously narrow between the drifts. Also wondering how the thousands of UPS, FedEx and USPS parcel deliveries are being made? To say nothing of delivery and pickup of bigger stuff.

As a followup, I just happened to hear a news report on NPR yesterday on trash collection in Boston over the last few weeks. Very interesting. The story was produced by a reporter at WBUR and can be seen/heard here: With 100 Inches Of Snow, Trash Removal A Struggle In Boston

 

[Threepoint]

I live outside Ithaca and it has a very high population
with college students and year round residents.

We have plenty of parking problems with lack of
parking in many places and we have parking garages
without roofs which causes huge deicing and snow
removal expense- crazy idea in this climate especially when
the garages do not have heated floors to melt ice and snow.


You have to love municipalities(insert snicker here) and how they only think in
the short term with short dollars instead of thinking long term to reduce
issues with ice and snow and its effects on exposed concrete where heated
floors solve more problems and reduce repairs to the concrete surfaces.
This works on car washes and has worked well for sidewalks as well.

Leonz, I've lived in both Ithaca and Boston, and comparing the challenges of managing snow in those two cities is unrealistic in the extreme! Last I knew, Ithaca is not even considered to be in the snow belt of Upstate NY, and the population has changed only moderately in the many years since I was there. Wherever the city is located, municipal planners since Beowulf have had to balance the expense of long term capital investment in equipment and infrastructure against the fact that the folks who have to pay for it don't particularly want to. They don't want their taxes raised anymore than absolutely necessary. They don't want to incur municipal debt unless absolutely necessary. They (and I include myself) complain that local income and sales taxes are already too high, and that the "bureaucrats" don't spend the money they already collect efficiently enough. :laughing: I love Ithaca, BTW. :thumbsup:

 

[Garandman]

After last night we have 2" to go to break the record (107.6") and more light snow is forecast for tomorrow.

 

[Garandman]

Extensive bitching about the snowbanks in the neighborhoods, which make parking tough and resulted in the use of place savers.

With above freezing temps the snow piles are no longer frozen solid, we we attacked a section last night with shovels and a snow thrower. In two hours we went from this:

To this and 5-6 neighbors will now have easier parking.

 

[IslandTractor]

Today was the first day since the snows began in Janurary that my typical 40 minute drive actually took 40 minutes. Not clear what changed as it took an hour yesterday and the roads weren't obviously different. Not complaining though.

 

[Garandman]

Moses Brown (Prep school in RI) has a viral video announcing school closure. Over 3 million hits.

 

[IslandTractor]

Today was the first day since the snows began in Janurary that my typical 40 minute drive actually took 40 minutes. Not clear what changed as it took an hour yesterday and the roads weren't obviously different. Not complaining though.

Garandman, where'd you blow all the snow?

 

[Garandman]

The cove where we take the dog to swim is frozen over. And had been, for a couple months. 3/6/7. Last winter we got only seven feet of snow and this cove wasn't forzen over for more than a week.

 

[JJZ 109]

I really have to kind of laugh at Boston's big snow dilemma. The place in this link is about a half hour from me. And I don't think my town is all that far behind them. Our whole region lives this every year. The snowiest place in America this year is a tiny town in Upstate New York | syracuse.com

 

[IslandTractor]

I really have to kind of laugh at Boston's big snow dilemma. The place in this link is about a half hour from me. And I don't think my town is all that far behind them. Our whole region lives this every year. The snowiest place in America this year is a tiny town in Upstate New York | syracuse.com

If you deal with this sort of snow accumulation every year or two the cities would develop systems and equipment to deal effectively. It is the relatively unusual snow events/accumulations that cause problems. As I recall Washington DC was essentially shut down ten years ago after a 4-6 inch snow fall. Boston can handle 18" every couple of weeks without much trouble but 72" in a couple weeks knocked us for a loop.

 

[Garandman]

I really have to kind of laugh at Boston's big snow dilemma. The place in this link is about a half hour from me. And I don't think my town is all that far behind them. Our whole region lives this every year.

Not at all surprising.

People who live in places With population densities of a few hundred people per square mile don't seem to understand the challenges when population densities are over 10,000 people per square mile.

Our NH place has had 2" more snow than Boston - and is about average for the season.

Here ya go.