Buffalo residents frustrated neighborhoods are left unplowed

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — People across the city are still digging out their cars tonight and many side streets haven’t even been touched by a city plow.

News 4 was outside in the city most of the day and saw plenty of vehicles stuck on the roads. One resident said at least a dozen cars got stuck on his street because it just wasn’t plowed.

“We clean ourselves,” said North Buffalo resident Antonina Volpe. “Me, her, my neighbor next door, but it’s a mess over here.”

“Definitely the side streets — I was pretty shocked,” added Erica Hein, another resident of the area. “I was taking my daughter to school this morning and it was a little sketchy out there so the side roads need a little extra work I think.”

Across North Buffalo, side streets like Saranac Avenue remained covered with snow, causing vehicle after vehicle to get stuck.

“We’ve been lucky with the snow plows in the past few years, but this year they’ve just been ignoring this whole neighborhood,” said Daniel Clark. “So we’re hoping they come by today, but if all these giant trucks are stuck here, I don’t see how they’re going to get through and fix anything.”

Patrick Kerins decided to spend his day helping dig out cars and trucks stuck on residential streets. He says by noon he helped pull out at least eight vehicles.

City officials say crews were focused on main streets and secondary roads first and are now shifting their focus to residential neighborhoods and that there’s still a lot of work left to do.

“One of the challenges we’re seeing out there especially on residential streets, folks getting stuck in cars,” said Michael Finn, commissioner of the Department of Public Works. “Cars get stuck, plows aren’t able to get down so in a sense there’s a lot of working together with residents to work through those issues.”

The DPW urges residents that if their cars are parked on an unplowed side street to try and move it, and if possible, park it on a main street that is plowed. That will help plow crews get through.