Thursday trash and recycling collection delayed one day.
Philadelphia, January 26, 2011- Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that Managing Director Richard Negrin will declare a snow emergency at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26, 2011. All vehicles parked in snow emergency routes must be moved prior to 7:00 p.m. Winter weather conditions, which began early Wednesday morning, will continue throughout the day with a wintry mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain. Overnight, weather forecasts predict that the weather will change to snow and Philadelphia will receive over six inches.
“Our Streets Department and the citizens of Philadelphia have performed admirably this winter as we’ve been hit with snow storm after snow storm. Another storm is coming and I’d like to urge all Philadelphians to be careful on the streets. If you have to go out, give yourself extra time. Do not forget to check in on elderly neighbors or help them to shovel their sidewalks,” said Mayor Nutter. “Our Streets Department was out clearing the streets early this morning, and they’ll be out this evening as well to keep Philadelphia running.”
Streets Department snow operations, which started at 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, will continue until conditions improve. As of Wednesday, 250 pieces of equipment and 100 crews were deployed as part of the city’s snow removal efforts. Crews began applying a brine solution to prevent icing at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday. This evening, 450 pieces of equipment and 700 Streets Department crew members will be clearing streets. Trash and recycling collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week. Residents with Thursday pick up should put out their trash and recycling on Friday. Residents with rear driveway pickup should place their collections curbside.
“Our priority is public safety. Crews and trucks that normally are dedicated to trash and recycling will be fully engaged making streets passable,” said Streets Commissioner Tolson. “When there are significant snow accumulations our vehicles chance getting lodged in unclear driveways. It is important our vehicles stay operating to continue providing service to our citizens.”
In anticipation of the snow emergency, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) has announced a two-day parking discount beginning after Wednesday, January 26 at 4:00 p.m. and ending on Friday, January 28 at 7:00 a.m. Individuals can park at PPA owned and operated center city garages and will be charged a $5.00 flat rate per day. Parking garages are located at:
• Auto-Park at JFK (16th & JFK)
• Auto-Park at Independence Mall (5th & Market)
• Auto-Park at Jefferson (10th & Ludlow)
• Auto-Park at Gallery Mall (10th & Filbert)
• Auto-Park at 8th & Filbert
• Auto-Park at Old City at 2nd and Sansom
Residents are urged to follow these tips:
• Apply any commercial de-icer on steps and sidewalks early to prevent residual moisture from freezing over and creating icy conditions.
• Clear a sidewalk path at least 36” wide within 6 hours of the end of the storm as listed in the Philadelphia Code (10-720).
• Clear snow from neighborhood sewer drains to allow melting snow to drain.
• Be conscious of the environment – use de-icing salts only as much as needed. One pound of de-icer can cover 100 to 200 square feet.
• De-icer should be applied as soon as a light accumulation has developed on the surface. This will break the bond between additional accumulations and the pavement surface, and will make it easier to shovel.
• A final light application of a de-icer may be required after removal is completed to melt the residual snow.
• Make sure you park your car as far away from the corner as possible. Cars parked too close to the corner limit the turning radius of salting vehicles.
• Clear snow from neighborhood storm drains to allow melting snow to drain. Make sure firefighters will have easy access to fire hydrants by clearing snow around the hydrants.
• Check on sick and elderly neighbors.
To report a street in need of salting or plowing or for more information on any Streets Department program or service, call 3-1-1. You may also visit the Streets Department online at http://www.phila.gov/streets/Snow_Emergency.html.
The City’s Code Blue remains in effect to provide additional support to the homeless. If you see a homeless person in need of assistance, please call the Homeless Outreach Coordination Center at 215-232-1984.
