When serious winter weather is in the forecast, your city government and its partners have plans in place to manage snow and keep the city safe and functional. Community Board 8 has compiled this information to help you understand what to expect from municipal services and how you can be a good neighbor when snow starts falling.
You are always welcome to call our office at 212-758-4340 for additional assistance.
Clearing Streets
The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is responsible for clearing 19,000 lane miles of roadways in the five boroughs. (That's the distance from the Upper East Side to New Zealand and back again.) You'll notice salt trucks, as well as regular DSNY collection trucks outfitted with plows and tire chains.
You may see some pre-treatment of streets before the storm arrives including with liquid brine, or a mix of rock salt and calcium chloride.
Plowing starts after two inches of snowfall. Plows are designed not to scrape the street, so a plowed street will not show clear blacktop. You can help the thousands of uniformed Sanitation workers clearing the streets in 12 hour shifts by staying off the road unless you absolutely must travel.
You can follow plows live online at maps.nyc.gov/snow. To learn more about how the Department of Sanitation responds to snow storms, visit nyc.gov/snow.
Expect delays in trash, recycling, and compost collection. Call 311 for more information.
Clearing Sidewalks
Clearing sidewalks is the responsibility of property owners. If you own a building or lot, you must clear a four-foot path after it snows. You must also clear fire hydrants, bus stops, and curb cuts. If you don't clear the area on time, you may receive a ticket from the Department of Sanitation and have to pay up to $250. You can learn more about the rules for clearing sidewalks from 311.
If an area is still not clear when it should be, you can call 311 or make a report online. 311 complaints made while snow is still falling are generally less effective.
Can't get enough of shoveling? You can register as an emergency snow shoveler and get paid $19.14/hour to clear areas like bus stops and fire hydrants.
Using Public Transportation
It's best to avoid unnecessary travel. If you must travel, public transportation is best. Check mta.info for service status before you head out.
Expect delays on buses.
Under certain circumstances, subways may run an underground-only service. You can check out the underground-only subway map. Express tracks will be used to store trains out of the snow. In our neighborhood, that means there is no 6 train. The 4/5 will run on the local track. The Q train will run only between 96th and Canal Street and will not continue to Brooklyn.
Staying Warm Indoors
As always, building owners must always provide heat and hot water. Your home should be 68 degrees between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. It should be at least 62 degrees from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. If you are having trouble with heat or hot water, call 311 or file a report online. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development can send out an inspector to document the issue and get it taken care of.
If you have neighbors who might need a helping hand, check on them to make sure they have enough supplies and are staying safe and warm.
The FDNY reminds you to use space heaters safely. Keep them on a flat surface at least three feet from anything that can burn, and always turn them off when leaving the room or going to sleep. Never use ovens or gas stoves to heat your home.
Helping the Homeless
Winter weather is especially dangerous for homeless New Yorkers. When temperatures dip below freezing, the City's shelter system makes special arrangements to speed up their intake process around the clock. If you see someone who needs assistance, call 311 and ask for the Mobile Outreach Response Team. The operator will send an outreach team to help. If it's an emergency, dial 9-1-1.
Staying Safe in Parks
The Parks Department reminds you to stay off frozen lakes and ponds. If you see someone fall through the ice, call 9-1-1. Do not attempt to make a rescue yourself.