PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor has vowed a better response for the next snowfall. O’Connor’s 8-point plan, announced Thursday, follows nearly a year of 11 Investigates reporting on issues plaguing the Department of Public Works.
O’Connor said in a letter to the council that 72 of the city’s 104 salt trucks are roadworthy. That figure is roughly the same as what Christopher Horstein, director of public works, told 11 Investigates last February.
“We are always challenged with people and trucks,” Hornstein said in February 2025. “I’ll just be frank, a third of our fleet is kind of unavailable due to maintenance reasons.”
O’Connor’s plan calls to address both the manpower issues and maintenance issues. The letter to the council outlines driver training and extending hours to make vehicle repairs.
11 Investigates previously reported that nearly half of the city vehicles are beyond their recommended service life. At the time, the council was focused on emergency vehicles breaking down.
“We’re just wasting taxpayer dollars because we are spending so much on maintenance,” Bobby Wilson, Pittsburgh City Councilman, told 11 Investigates in October. “We’re spending more on maintenance than half the cost we pay for the vehicle.”
O’Connor’s plan also vows to address salt facilities. In late 2025, the council briefly considered partnering with Munhall to address shortages and long drives.
Dan Gilman, chief of staff, spoke at a Thursday meeting about an updated plan on how the city leadership will establish command centers during snowfall. A key part of that is getting the city’s snowplow tracking system back up and running. As 11 Investigates has previously reported, the tracker has been down for a myriad of issues the city has blamed on technology. The city plans to install GPS units in trucks Friday to map out the 1,200 miles the city is required to maintain.
“The public needs to be able to see that we’re out there,” Gilman said Thursday. “That we’re working. 24/7 for them.”
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