Sanitation crews busy clearing snow from New York City side streets
LITTLE NECK (WABC) -- Crews were out in Queens Wednesday trying to clear the streets of snow left by the winter storm so cars can get by.
It was another extended day for crews from the New York City Sanitation Department, plowing and spreading sand during a 12-hour shift.
In some neighborhoods, specifically those with hilly, narrow streets like in Little Neck, Queens, snow cleanup needs to be done in stages. Officials say that because many residents park their cars on the street, the plows just can't clean the block as thoroughly.
Homeowners clearing driveways and sidewalks are urged against tossing excess snow into the street, or else it freezes overnight and creates more problems for the plow crews.
Others having trouble are people with baby strollers, because it's a struggle for them to walk through the snow-clogged streets and sidewalks.
Meanwhile, New York City public schools were back in session Wednesday after students received a rare snow day Tuesday. Alternate-side parking regulations are suspended through at least Saturday to facilitate snow removal.
Regular weekday service resumed on New York City's subways and rails a day after a snowstorm shut down the city, but only a handful of commuters experienced delays due to other problems.
The MTA said some subway lines may resume express service later than usual, and the agency advised commuters to look to Service Status for specifics. City buses continue to be equipped with snow chains on select routes, and PATH trains resumed normal weekday service.
The highest snow total in the city was in Bayside, Queens, which received 12 inches, while parts of the Bronx saw 11.8 inches.
After the storm fell far short of the dire predictions for New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will look at whether storm procedures could be improved. but he added, "You can't be a Monday morning quarterback on something like the weather."
According to the MTA, this the first time the entire system was shut down due to a winter storm. The last shutdown was due to Superstorm Sandy, though there have been snowstorms that have essentially crippled the system.
