A Whopper White-out!

From Mayor Finch:

Snow Cleanup Continues; Mayor Finch Urges Patience as Crews Dig Out City Streets

Schools closed Thursday; Administrative Staff to Report

City Public Works crews will continue their cleanup efforts after a massive snowstorm dumped 18-20 inches of snow on the City Wednesday. Crews will be working all night Wednesday and into the day Thursday to clear secondary roads and side streets throughout the City. Mayor Finch is calling on all vehicle owners in the City to obey the alternate side of the street and snow emergency parking rules in order for plow drivers to do their work. The Mayor extended the snow emergency through Thursday morning at 10 a.m.

Due to the storm, sanitation and recycling pick-ups will be delayed one day. Residents whose normal sanitation and recycling pickup day is Wednesday will have their garbage picked up on Thursday, and so on through Saturday.

“Our plow drivers have done an admirable job clearing streets considering the amount of snow the City received, but we need the public’s help to get our streets cleared and ready for the normal flow of traffic on Thursday,” said Mayor Finch on Wednesday evening. The City’s Emergency Operations Center was activated Tuesday evening and received more than 150 calls for assistance from City residents throughout the day and into the evening Wednesday.

City schools will be closed on Thursday; however all administrative staff must report to work. City Hall offices will also reopen to the public on Thursday.

“We are asking the public to be patient, and to cooperate by obeying the snow emergency parking rules,” Mayor Finch said. “A street free of cars is easier to clean in an orderly and efficient manner, than one with cars parked on either side in defiance of the ordinance.”

City police officers enforced the snow emergency parking rules by towing 25 cars left parked on City emergency streets as the storm began. Several parking areas are available if residents need to move their cars off the street, including the North End Library and Veterans Memorial Park parking areas off Madison Avenue, the flat parking areas across from the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, the parking area at the former Waltersville School and the area under the Route 8/25 overpass at the intersection of Main and Catherine and Washington Avenue.

Bridgeport received 18 to 20 inches of snow from Winter Storm Benedict as it rolled through the state throughout the late evening Tuesday and throughout the day on Wednesday.

“Our crews began their work on Tuesday morning pre-treating streets with a brine solution, then returned Tuesday evening to start plowing as soon as the snow started,” said Charles M. Carroll, Director of Public Facilities. The amount and rate of snowfall and windy conditions made plowing difficult during the early morning hours, Carroll said, but drivers kept at it all day and into the evening in order to make main roads passable for emergency vehicles and first responders.

During a snow emergency, parking is not permitted on a snow emergency street. A list of snow emergency streets can be found on the City web site at www.bridgeportct.gov/pages/NewsDetails.aspx?itemid=144. Snow emergency routes are marked with white signs with red lettering.

In addition, residents must continue to obey alternate side of the street parking rules. Thursday is an odd-numbered day, so cars should be parked on the odd side of the street by Wednesday evening. (Odd and even sides of the street are determined by the last number of house numbers, for example: on odd days, park your car on the side of the street with house numbers ending in 1,3,5,7, or 9. On even days, park your car on the side of the street with house numbers ending in 0,2,4,6, or 8.)

City public works crews will continue their cleanup efforts, but the sheer volume of snow may make for some dangerous driving conditions, especially at intersections and on some hilly streets. Police Chief Joseph Gaudett is urging drivers to use caution on all City streets, and use special care at intersections to ensure they can see oncoming traffic. Chief Gaudett also urged parents to keep children away from the street and large piles of snow where trucks and cars may not be able to see them.

The Department of Public Works reminds all residents and business owners to shovel the sidewalk and walkways, including curb cuts, for pedestrian safety. Please do not shovel snow back into the street from your driveway or sidewalk. Anyone found throwing snow back into the street will be subject to a fine.

The Fire Department also asks residents to shovel out fire hydrants and keep them clear. “Keeping hydrants open and clear can save precious minutes if there is an emergency during, and after, the storm,” said Bridgeport Fire Chief Brian Rooney. Residents also are reminded to be sure they have a flashlight and extra batteries available in case of a power outage. The Fire Department urges residents not use candles if their power goes out.

Residents can report snow plowing concerns by calling 203.576.1311, or online at the City’s web site www.bridgeportct.gov, click on the Citizen Service request button on the upper right hand corner to initiate a QAlert request for services.

As always, residents are reminded to call 911 for immediate life-threatening emergencies during the storm.