Keeping the Streets Clean

Start your engine...Head out the door....grab some salt and slowly head out to clear the busy streets of Utica. But it takes more than just a steady foot to operate these mammoth machines. Plowing is not only physically demanding but mentally as well.

                City of Utica DPW Commissioner David Short says, "They're constantly making sure they don't get in an accident, put it plain and simple. They're making sure that they don't hurt somebody. These guys are professionals, I mean you have fireman that are professionals, and police officers that are professionals, the guys at DPW are professionals in their own way."

                And these professional plowers work countless hours to ensure the safety of travelers. But you won't see many plows our during rush hour traffic. Short added, "Actually its counterproductive, we have to go around cars, we get caught in traffic then we can't get enough momentum to push the snow if there's a lot of snow. It's just not a very good situation for us."

            The inches have been accumulating for hours now so tonight Utica will have an all hands on deck approach to clearing out the snow.

            "Now with the budget cuts it takes pretty much all of us to come in and get the roads done on an 8 hour shift and depending on the weather we should have it done by tomorrow morning and everything should be good to go" says Short.