City snow plan proposals include new plows, trucks, vehicle lift units

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The new City of Buffalo snow plan proposal includes new snowplows, 10 new pickup trucks, vehicle life units, among other new additions, according to documents provided to WIVB News 4 on Thursday.

Emergency response and snowplow additions are both part of the plan.

The city has added seven new snowplows and eight front loaders, with an additional seven plows expected to arrive later in the season. Six new light- and medium-duty pickup trucks with plows for off-road operations, along with four more for parking lots and other similar spaces.

Emergency operations are also set for a boost. The Buffalo Fire Department would be given a new mini-ambulance that would be able to navigate narrow roads and other areas that are difficult to access during storms.

The city had been under fire in recent years, especially following the December 2022 blizzard, for not being able to get to residents in need of medical attention in their homes. During the blizzard, 47 people died, 46 of them in Erie County. The majority of those 46 came in Buffalo.

A June 2023 report from New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service attributed seven of the deaths in Erie County to emergency calls that went unanswered due to backlog as well as unplowed streets blocked by stranded drivers.

Report: Buffalo's snow-removal equipment, communications fell short during deadly blizzard

The city is also planning to add a pair of vehicle lift units, designed to relocate cars parked on streets that obstruct snowplows.

The Buffalo Police Department will be given a new command vehicle, which the plans says will "enhance BPD's ability to respond swiftly and effectively in dynamic situations" and will give "increased flexibility for emergency operations."

Finally, the city is moving its warming center in the North District to the Northwest Buffalo Community Center on Lawn Avenue. Previously, it had been the former Asarese-Matters Community Center on Rees Street.

The new plan is expected to be discussed at the Buffalo Common Council meeting on Tuesday next week.

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