City of Pittsburgh residents started a winter weather tradition early on Tuesday: Complaining about snow removal. And they're not wrong. The city's response has been abysmal for decades. Public Works said it would have as many as 60 plows clearing streets. But Controller Rachael Heisler says the city needs 123!
She's not wrong.
At present, the city has 104 plow trucks and only 84 of them are available. Last year, a third of Pittsburgh’s snow plows were out of commission.
The incoming O'Connor administration has an opportunity to reverse the neglect of the City's vehicle fleet by successive mayors. The new mayor and Pittsburgh council should modify the budget to increase capital spending on new plow trucks and bring the fleet up to a number that meets taxpayers needs and begins to address their legitimate complaints.
It's long past time to make Public Works....work for Pittsburgh.