Dear Neighbor,

A huge snowstorm is due to hit New York City this afternoon through Tuesday night. A Blizzard Warning is now in effect as a projected two feet or more of snow will fall over the next thirty-six hours.

Here are some tips and advisories:

DO NOT DRIVE AFTER 5PM TODAY! The reason is simple: 1) the roads will be treacherous 2) the Sanitation Department needs clear roads to do their job. Mayor de Blasio has actually declared it illegal to drive after 11pm tonight. But you should get off the roads earlier!

Track whether your street has been plowed using this website: http://maps.nyc.gov/snow/. If you have a complaint, call my office at (718) 853 2704 or email: [email protected] or call 311.
After school programs are cancelled today and public schools are closed Tuesday.

Subways and buses may be delayed and/or shut down this afternoon. There will be limited MTA subway service after 7pm today.

Alternate Side Parking is suspended Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Parking meters will, unfortunately, remain in effect.

Garbage and Recycling pick-up is cancelled for Monday and Tuesday.

Be Ready. Make sure you have a flashlight, extra batteries, candles, and canned food and bottled water. Fill your car with a full tank of gas and keep your cell-phones charged.

Talk to your neighbors. If you, or anyone you know, is without heat and/or shelter, find an overnight warming center immediately. For more information, call 311.

Be aware. With the inclement weather, it is critical that you stay indoors. If you do need to go outside, please make sure you are warm and be aware of your surroundings and extra cautious about black ice.

Shovel your sidewalk. Please be diligent and caring for pedestrians and clear your sidewalk as soon as you are able to. Under New York City law, owners must clear sidewalks within four hours in cases when the snow ends between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. If the snow ends between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m., the sidewalk must be cleared by 11 a.m.

In the event of an emergency, call 911 immediately.

Thankfully, we are fortune to have the best Sanitation Department in the country working to keep our streets clean and safe. In fact, I have purchased extra snow-cleaning trucks for our local sanitation garage to make sure that they can do the best job possible (see the photo below). If you have any questions and/or concerns during and after the storm, please call 311 or my office at 718-853-2704 or send us an email at: [email protected]. My office will close at 5pm today and will re-open tomorrow as soon as it is safe for my staff to come in.

Thanks and please stay safe!

Sincerely,

David G. Greenfield
Member, NYC Council

(YWN Desk – NYC)