Buffalo showcases new snow fighting equipment to improve clearing city's side streets

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The City of Buffalo showcased new equipment and technology Friday that will help their efforts to improve snow clearing on residential streets, including narrow streets, dead ends, and roads with medians that can be difficult for traditional snowplows to navigate.

"This is all about fixing the basics. What could be more basic in the City of Buffalo than clearing your streets and snow plowing," said Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan during a press conference Friday in the city's University District. "We need to support people who are going to work. We need to support businesses. We want Buffalo schools to be open on snowy days, and not have to schools to say, 'We have to close because we can't get our buses down the street.' The basics is what we're sticking to, and we're going to be able to show better services this winter because of the work that we're doing."

As part of the 2026-27 Adopted Budget, the city has purchased seven smaller John Deere tractors to be equipped with snow blowers, giving Department of Public Works (DPW) crews more options for clearing streets where larger plows have limited room to maneuver. The investment is part of the city’s broader 2026-27 Winter Snow Plan, which focuses on improving equipment, coordination, and operational efficiency ahead of the winter season.

"We didn't have the right equipment to fit those streets, so we went out and got the right equipment," Ryan said. "We purchased seven smaller John Deere tractors as part of the adopted budget. These are equipped with snowblowers, and we purchased them, because it allows us more flexibilities for our crews, but access to difficult spaces. This street, neighbors always complain that they don't get good snow plowing. Well, take a look at the size of that snow plow, and if you're trying to turn that around on every run, it's really hard. So instead, we buy the equipment that's the right sized equipment for this street, and that's how we're going to get the job done."

The city is also introducing an upgraded snowplow tracking system that uses real-time vehicle data and mapping technology to give DPW staff a more accurate picture of snow-clearing operations. The system will support crew coordination and improve the accuracy of the public-facing map showing when city snow-clearing services were last recorded on individual streets.

"We have to make sure we're using technology to the best of our ability," Ryan added. "We're going to have real-time data on where the trucks are, what streets have been plowed, and we're going to be able to feed that data into the cabs. No more paper maps. They're going to have a computer system in the cab to help them with routing. At the end of the route, we'll be able to send them a new directions to go to the next one."

In addition, the Parking Department has expanded its personnel and tow truck capacity to help remove vehicles that obstruct snow-clearing operations. Upgraded in-cab technology will allow DPW crews to quickly and easily alert the department when parked vehicles prevent plows from getting through, allowing parking enforcement staff to coordinate vehicle relocations, including mini-tows, when needed.

"You see it over-and-over in the city: Plows can't get down one street, because the the top of the street is clogged up with people who are violating the parking rules. But that means the whole rest of the block can't get the services," Ryan said. "So all these improvements, the upgraded in-cab technology, the new blades, the new equipment, they're part of our broader investment of last year's budget."

The city’s goal remains to complete at least one plow pass on every residential street within 24 hours after a snow event ends, although continued snowfall, extreme conditions, and vehicles blocking streets can affect that timeline.

"These investments will allow us to achieve that goal, but we're also going to give the people who do the work for the city the tools that they need to do the job. And we're going to get better tracking of the progress, and we're going to give more resources to address the obstacles in the street, so every resident can get their street plowed," Ryan added.