Some Pittsburgh residents unhappy with winter storm response

PITTSBURGH — With snowfall of several inches falling Monday into Tuesday, several Pittsburgh residents report being upset and unhappy with the city’s response following numerous storms this winter.

Many streets in several locations, including Carrick, Stanton Heights and Overbrook were reported to have had hazardous conditions follow Sunday’s ice storm and Monday’s snowfall.

Sandra Bendig, a resident of Overbrook, said she is frustrated because “no one is listening to us.”

“We have essential employees, my husband is essential he has to get to work. We have a firefighter he has to get to work and we have elderly people on this street who can’t make it. It’s just frustrating. I’ve contacted the mayor’s office.”

Residents on Fairland Street in Overbrook said they’ve had to take matters into their own hands, salting the road and assisting stuck drivers.. They feel they’re being neglected by city crews.

“This red brick hill is treacherous with the ice,” Fairland Street resident Bob Adams said.

Adams and his neighbors say the city neglects their block every time it snows.

“There are a lot of streets in this area that aren’t getting any service at all,” he said.

Tim McNulty, director of communications for the office of Mayor William Peduto, said that public works crews have been working around the clock for the past week treating roads, bridges and sidewalks from repeated bands of snow and ice, and are continuing to work 24/7 this week.

“The city asks residents to be patient and careful, and to limit travel when possible,” he said.

Residents with on-street parking are asked to park vehicles as closely as possible to the curb to allow for the best treatments of roadway travel lanes.

Public Works planned to have over 50 trucks starting at 10 p.m. Sunday night, salting roads in advance of the storm and plowing as the storm arrives. Monday daylight crews deployed over 70 trucks salting and plowing. Additional crews will be out Tuesday morning, salting and shoveling City steps, sidewalks, and bridges. Crews will work around the clock servicing City streets until the storm has passed through the area, according to the news release.

The City Snow Plow Tracker App will be activated throughout the duration of the storm.

Several first responders in the city were involved in crashes as they responded emergency incidents Sunday morning.

Officials said the treacherous road conditions caused three medic vehicles, three police cruisers, and one fire engine to be involved in crashes as they responded to multiple collisions and disabled vehicles overnight and into the morning.

While responding to a collision in Zone 1, a police unit hit a patch of ice on Milroy Street in Perry South just before 7 a.m. and slid into a house. No one inside the structure was injured. The officer was taken to the hospital to be evaluated for injuries to his knees.

In Zone 5, a police unit was responding to assist a stuck motorist in the 5100 block of Rosecrest Drive just before 9 a.m. when the officer’s vehicle hit a parked car. The officer fell and hit his head after exiting his vehicle. He stated that he was not injured and did not request EMS.

Clifford Carter, of Stanton Heights, said the roads were pure ice and people could not get up and down the street.

In Zone 3, a police unit was struck by another vehicle on Brownsville Road near Linnview Street around 3:15 a.m. There were no injuries.

There were no injuries to medics or firefighters.

Public Safety continues to urge drivers to stay off the roads if at all possible as conditions remain icy in several areas.

Icy conditions cause plow truck to slide off road as crews get ready for winter storm

Cox Media Group