New York, NY – Facing a countless number of snow-covered streets and mounting criticism about its blizzard response, the Bloomberg Administration was hustling Thursday to meet a self-imposed deadline that was set to expire at 7 a.m., Jay Dow reports.
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“I expect that we will have every street in New York City plowed. Will somebody find a street I missed? Maybe,” Mayor Bloomberg said.
That warning was perhaps an acknowledgment of what residents said did not happen on so many side streets in western Queens, Staten Island, and Brooklyn.
“We’re looking every time, waiting for a plow. Nobody comes out here. I mean, what are we supposed to do?” said Mendy Shapiro of Borough Park.
“I’m very upset. And I think everybody in this neighborhood is upset,” another resident said.
The mayor now admits the City could have done better. “We did not do as good a job as we wanted to do, or as the City has a right to expect.”
So what happened? Did the mayor wait too long to declare a snow emergency? Was the Sanitation Department crippled by cuts or sabotaged by frustrated union workers?
Or did too many residents underestimate the storm and drive, only to abandon their vehicles?
Mayor Bloomberg said there will be accountability. “We’ll find out what was different this time and try to do everything to make sure it’s better next time.”
During a press conference on Wednesday, John J. Doherty, the city’s sanitation commissioner, said that he expects that every street in the five boroughs would be plowed by 7 a.m. on Thursday.
The hour has arrived.
Is your street plowed? Take a walk over to the window, open the curtains, and take a peek. Hopefully, what you see will make you happier than it did on Tuesday and on Wednesday. Did Mr. Doherty live up to his word?
Mr Bloomberg, pray there is no next time. Personally I hope you aren’t mayor next time.
Politicians rarely admit when they make mistakes. Regarding Borough Park, kindly remember that in 2009, when Mayor Bloomberg was running for reelection, he came into Borough Park, and was warmly welcomed by the local community leaders. This happened in spite of the fact that only three and a half years earlier, there was a civil disturbance in Borough Park (April, 2006), where the police manhandled a large crowd. Every Jewish politician in NYC condemned the actions of the police, with the exception of Mayor Bloomberg. Although the community appeared to have forgiven Bloomberg in 2009, there is no way that they will forget or forgive him for this fiasco. The Blizzard of 2010, (Bloomberg’s Blizzard), will be his equivalent of Hurricane Katrina, and will become his Waterloo. There is no way that he will be reelected in 2013; politically, he is through!
”we’ll find out what was different”… Where were you till now??
There are big-wheel tire marks in the snow today on my street – so something big went down the block, but all the snow underfoot is still there – inches deep!
How about a commitment to “clear” the street of snow, not a promise “to see a plow”.
My street got plowed at 3.50AM and they were out no less then in 10 minutes with a break in between talking!!!To think that this could have been done 2 days earlier is just unbelievable!
Mr. Mayor, where is S.C.O.U.T. (Street Conditions Observation Unit Team)
why couldn’t you deploy this team in the 5 Boroughs.
so the PLOWS could clear the streets soon enough.
The goal of the SCOUT program is to improve the street level quality of life in City neighborhoods, while enhancing the responsiveness of City government to quality of life conditions.
My Street 52nd st. Is Not Plowed!! They maybe past it with the plow lifted! So in the record they have it as cleaned but passing by with the plow lifted it will not get clean I saw them passing many streets with the plow lifted!!
Having them plowed now doesn’t get my kids to cheder!!!!
I am going down at 8 am with my kid to see if we can manage the snow. We have been snowed in since Sunday. We are in Flatbush. –They never hit our street.
Same on 56th Street – plow came down the block after 7, but the plow did not move any snow.
As of 8:30 AM my street has yet to see a plow!
Good morning American where we’re you till now??????
Is my street plowed?
The truck came down my street once last evening, and all it did was expose the ice even more. If they would have come once a day since the beginning of the blizzard (usually the come 3-4 times a day during a ‘dusting’ of snow), it would have been gevaldig. But now, eh. Shkoyach, but what did u do for me already? Still can’t drive – the ice and snow are still there, albeit smoothed out a drop. This is one job that was NOT well done. Two thumbs down, Mr. Mayor ( and I use that term loosley…)
After midnight last night, a bulldozer came and finally dug out my block. After all the geniuses shoveled their driveways into the middle of the street, no plow could have made it through. It took the bulldozer a solid hour to clear the street.
“Stop complaining and start shoveling…”
Skillman street in willi has not been plowed yet
It is 10:15 AM and my block, 47th st between 14th and 15th Avenues, has not been plowed.
No east 12th street bet ave I and dead end has not been plowed
Something went down my street, but it could have been a mail truck. We started shoveling a few days ago, so I guess we will just continue!!
11.4 thumbs down Bloomberg