Neighbors frustrated by City of Pittsburgh’s response to snow over New Year’s

PITTSBURGH — Neighbors in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood are frustrated by the city’s response to the snow overnight.

“If a plow came through, you would see snow piled either to the right or the left, depending on which way he faces his plow, and you don’t see that,” Robert Dusch said while shoveling snow. This is just cars going up and down and matting down the snow."

The City of Pittsburgh received around 3-5 inches during the New Year’s Eve holiday, and on Thursday morning, neighbors in the South Side were waking up to covered roads, sidewalks and steps.

“I can’t believe they have the audacity to give neighbors a citation when they never touch the streets,” Dusch said.

Dusch said he grew up in the South Side and now has three tenants he shovels for. Last year, he suffered a stroke after shoveling and got a citation from the city about his sidewalks while he was in the hospital.

“The city does not live up to their end of the bargain,” Dusch said. “They will crucify us for not clearing a sidewalk if it snows or having debris out a couple days before pick up. Something’s wrong here. Something’s wrong in city government.”

Valentin Dirkel said he had to carry his dog while on a walk because of a lack of plowing.

“I understand you may not want to come through here when it’s snowing, but at least once after it’s done snowing,” Dirkel said. “And ideally, it’s a beautiful day right now, and I’d like to see someone come through before noon at least plow it once.”

Dirkel said if the neighbors didn’t clear the streets, no one would ever get out.

“The roads for the cars is never clean, really. It just stays like this until it thaws out itself,” Dirkel said. “Nobody comes through to plow it or put any salt on it. Like I said, it’s all just the neighborhood, whoever wants to help out, clean up and put salt down.”

Channel 11 reached out to city council, the mayor’s office, and the public works department for comment, but has not heard back.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW