The next time it snows, Pittsburgh public works officials will be better prepared to keep the city streets clear, officials said on Monday.
White Christmas, or at least its consequences, left some residents of the city red in the face after they were unable to locate a plow or salt truck for two days in some areas, including the South Hills neighborhoods.
Councilman Anthony Coghill said he was working to resolve the issue. In a joint statement, Coghill and Mayor Bill Peduto detailed new procedures to improve the city’s response to snowstorms.
“We need to add more salt,” said Coghill.
The most difficult problem is finding people willing to work, he said.
During the Christmas storm, there were 90 trucks available, but only 30 drivers, said Coghill.
Six trucks were also broken that would have served the Coghill district, which includes Beechview, Bon Air, Brookline, Carrick, MT. Washington and Overbook neighborhoods.
Coghill and Peduto discussed “broader” things, like updating the city’s fleet, he said, but they also discussed how to “get manpower to make the roads”.
“I love our public works people. In a situation like this, it’s all labor, ”said Coghill.
He is awaiting the construction of a new public works campus in his district and hopes that the changes being implemented will help in the meantime. Trucks plowing and salting roads in his district now travel from the Strip district and western neighborhoods, he said.
“I will argue that my district needs more people because of the hills,” said Coghill.
The changes he and Peduto discussed included updating the way the public works department is staffed and improving the online plow crawler system.
Peduto and Coghill worked with the Department of Public Works and union leaders, including the chairman of the Pittsburgh Joint Collective Bargaining Committee, Joseph Laquatra, to propose the plans.
A new agreement has been drawn up to improve communication and detail how the team will be assigned during storms to ensure that enough trucks are out to treat and clean the streets.
It includes a new mass text message and automatic calls so that workers are contacted and know about the chances of overtime.
If a sufficient number of people do not volunteer for overtime, workers will be assigned by reverse seniority. If not enough staff are available, the city will use private contractors.
There was a communication failure during the Christmas storm and data from vehicles that added salt was not being shared with the plow tracking system, resulting in these vehicles not being displayed on the online map.
The problem has been fixed and the trucks that are distributing salt will also appear in the tracking system, officials said.
The Snow Plow Tracker website has also been updated to inform users that not all plowing vehicles may be visible on the map when activated. The site was shut down on Monday while it was being updated.
“Keeping our roads safe for all users during winter storms is a fundamental responsibility of the municipal government,” said Peduto. “We will continue to use technology, best practices and partnerships with our workforce and unions to provide the public with the services they deserve.”
Coghill agreed with these comments and said that the changes made “will result in a clear and direct improvement in the treatment of snow”.
Tom Davidson is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Tom at 724-226-4715, [email protected] or via Twitter .
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