If you're a Syracuse local worth your salt you've probably found yourself romping knee deep through a snowbank to get to or out of your car or slamming through a giant pool of slush to get into work. It's part of the experience of our long hard winters. It's no secret we get a peculiar amount of snow, almost as if our fore-bearers had been cursed, but on the bright side we have some bragging rights for our grit and snow driving abilities. Luckily for us we have the dedicated Department of Public Works who is stepping into the 21st century with a few innovations to make our winter commute easier.
For all you walkers out there there is a new initiative to clear all the sidewalks in Syracuse, starting with the high traffic areas. People can report these areas online and the data can be analyzed and stored to best utilize the manpower. The city of Syracuse is also starting a new system of tracking the cities snow plows via GPS, and marking roads that have yet to be plowed or had been plowed recently with a color coded system online. The city is also prepared to outsource some workers from private companies to assist in the shoveling of sidewalks and the plowing of streets. Hopefully all this means is better driving conditions and clearer sidewalks for this coming winter!