BUFFALO, N.Y. — One week after Western New York and Buffalo were hit by a massive lake effect storm, the city's Department of Public Works reported that 95% of streets in South Buffalo, Kaisertown, and Lovejoy would have snow removal completed by the end of Friday.
The remaining 5% DPW officials said included removing snow piles at some intersections and corners, finishing off some streets, and clearing areas where a parked vehicle may have hampered snow removal.
Public and private crews resumed operations Friday at 7 a.m. after a day of mourning on Thanksgiving for a city employee who police say died after being hit by a High Lift on McKinley Parkway in Buffalo, while out clearing snow.
"We are back at it after the Thanksgiving holiday and, you know, fully engaged in all parts of the city," Buffalo Department of Public Works Commissioner Nate Marton said on Friday.
Marton told 2 On Your Side that 135 pieces of heavy machinery were out on the roads Friday assisting in snow clearing and removal depending on where they were in the city. He said in Buffalo's hardest-hit neighborhoods crews shuttled snow off the streets and out to the Outer Harbor, a designated dumping area set up by the city.
Dump trucks lined up along Fuhrmann Boulevard in seemingly endless fashion Friday, coming and going with snow multiple times an hour.
The DPW Commissioner said crews were doing "street-by-street analysis" but also had targeted areas where they knew snow piles had been built up as a temporary solution to keeping roads clear at the height of the storm.
"We're working on snow pile removals and corner clearances and views so we're tackling those aspects of snow removal that help people get around safely as well," Marton said.
Work was set to continue overnight and into Saturday, according to that same Friday DPW update. When asked how the city is preparing for rain in the forecast and storm drains being potentially blocked by mounds of snow he added, "we have thought about that."
"There are four crews in the city that are specifically targeted to those issues...we haven't seen anything significant yet. The melt has been slower in nature but we're aware of it, we're keeping an eye on it," Marton said.
Discussions with the Buffalo Sewer Authority have also occurred he said.