Snow Removal

CHICAGO - The forecast: a mighty winter blizzard sure to dump a record-setting blanket of snow that will grow from inches to feet overnight, just in time for rush hour. When it happened this month in Washington, the president called it “Snowmageddon’’ and an overwhelmed city could not keep its streets clear. When it happened last week in Chicago, they called it “Tuesday’’ and kept the blacktop black from first flakes to final drifts. “I’d take my plow drivers and put them up against anyone in North America,’’ said Bobby Richardson, Chicago’s snow removal boss.

Last winter's lack of snow is about to pay off for Gate City pedestrians. Mayor Donnalee Lozeau has decided to use about $400,000 in snow removal surplus to repair city sidewalks. Work is already underway on the Main Street bridge, where the brick sidewalks have cracked and crumbled to create what looks like permanent frost heaves. Most of the sidewalk work will be done by Public Works employees.

Lynn Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy said today the city has changed its rules and will no longer allow money set aside for snow removal to be used to pay the salaries of workers in the city's Department of Public Works. The mayor was reacting to news accounts in the Lynn Item that showed the city's snow removal budget was drained of hundreds of thousands of dollars after a mostly snow-free winter. In the statement, the mayor said the rules were changed for fiscal 2013 so the spending does not take place again.

Lynn Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy said today the city has changed its rules and will no longer allow money set aside for snow removal to be used to pay the salaries of workers in the city's Department of Public Works. The mayor was reacting to news accounts in the Lynn Item that showed the city's snow removal budget was drained of hundreds of thousands of dollars after a mostly snow-free winter. In the statement, the mayor said the rules were changed for fiscal 2013 so the spending does not take place again.

Logan International Airport will hold an annual drill Wednesday to check the readiness of snow-removal equipment. Each year, the Massachusetts Port Authority tests more than 50 pieces of equipment that keep the airport runway and taxiways open and safe.

The city's winter parking ban takes effect Thursday. The ban, which lasts until April 1, applies from midnight to 7 a.m. with no parking on the even-numbered side of all streets except those streets already restricted to parking on one side. Parking is also banned on both sides of some streets including Belmont, Crescent, Main, Montello, and West streets. In addition, emergency parking bans on all streets can be declared for snow removal or other weather-related reasons. Cars in violation can be towed and owners fined.

In these darkest days of winter, weather forecasters all seem to be saying the same thing: No snow predicted for today. With the one surprise October storm that dumped some snow in the region, suburban Boston has seen few flakes this winter, including none in December - the first time that's happened since 1973. For cities and towns that have spent millions of dollars in recent years on snow removal, including plowing away some 80 inches last winter, you might think the lack of snow might translate into extra dollars to spend elsewhere.

In these darkest days of winter, weather forecasters all seem to be saying the same thing: No snow predicted for today. With the one surprise October storm that dumped some snow in the region, suburban Boston has seen few flakes this winter, including none in December - the first time that's happened since 1973. For cities and towns that have spent millions of dollars in recent years on snow removal, including plowing away some 80 inches last winter, you might think the lack of snow might translate into extra dollars to spend elsewhere.

By Sarah Thomas, Town Correspondent David Turocy has been appointed to serve as the commissioner of the Newton Department of Public Works, according to an announcement from Mayor Setti Warren. Turocy has served as interim commissioner since January and prior to that, he worked as deputy commissioner, where he managed day to day operations, and served as DPW's liaison to the Newton North construction project. Turocy has been with the City of Newton since 2005, and has also worked for the towns of Lexington and Concord.

In one of the mildest winters in memory, Massachusetts cities and towns have spent a fraction of last year's total on snow removal, an unexpected reprieve that has helped recoup past deficits, tackle backlogged repairs, and stockpile supplies. So far, Boston has spent $2.3 million on snow removal, compared with $21.5 million last winter. Somerville, which has spent less than 25 percent of last year's sum, has put $100,000 toward repairing snow vehicles. Like many communities, Framingham has hardly touched its expensive 1,100-ton salt stockpile.

Last winter, snow-removal companies were stretched thin. There just was not enough equipment or man-hours to keep up with the snow that just kept falling and falling. So, many spent the offseason loading up on gear. Big gear. Expensive gear. They were ready for anything. Anything, that is, except the unthinkable in New England: a winter with almost no snow. "It's kind of a ridiculous thing to even think of planning for," said Lance Barretto, operations manager for Alpine Landscape Co. in Malden, a business that earns most of its annual profit from winter plowing.

In one of the mildest winters in memory, Massachusetts cities and towns have spent a fraction of last year's total on snow removal, an unexpected reprieve that has helped recoup past deficits, tackle backlogged repairs, and stockpile supplies. So far, Boston has spent $2.3 million on snow removal, compared with $21.5 million last winter. Somerville, which has spent less than 25 percent of last year's sum, has put $100,000 toward repairing snow vehicles. Like many communities, Framingham has hardly touched its expensive 1,100-ton salt stockpile.

In these darkest days of winter, weather forecasters all seem to be saying the same thing: No snow predicted for today. With the one surprise October storm that dumped some snow in the region, suburban Boston has seen few flakes this winter, including none in December - the first time that's happened since 1973. For cities and towns that have spent millions of dollars in recent years on snow removal, including plowing away some 80 inches last winter, you might think the lack of snow might translate into extra dollars to spend elsewhere.

In these darkest days of winter, weather forecasters all seem to be saying the same thing: No snow predicted for today. With the one surprise October storm that dumped some snow in the region, suburban Boston has seen few flakes this winter, including none in December - the first time that's happened since 1973. For cities and towns that have spent millions of dollars in recent years on snow removal, including plowing away some 80 inches last winter, you might think the lack of snow might translate into extra dollars to spend elsewhere.

The city's winter parking ban takes effect Thursday. The ban, which lasts until April 1, applies from midnight to 7 a.m. with no parking on the even-numbered side of all streets except those streets already restricted to parking on one side. Parking is also banned on both sides of some streets including Belmont, Crescent, Main, Montello, and West streets. In addition, emergency parking bans on all streets can be declared for snow removal or other weather-related reasons. Cars in violation can be towed and owners fined.

SNOW AND sleet often leave commuters in Eastern Massachusetts with an ugly choice: risk driving to work on dangerous roads, or take a chance on a commuter rail system that has proven unreliable in bad weather. Convincing as many travelers as possible to choose public transportation is undoubtedly the safer option. That's why the MBTA's newly announced snow plan for the commuter rail system, to run a lighter schedule on snowy days this winter, is acceptable only as a stopgap measure.

SNOW AND sleet often leave commuters in Eastern Massachusetts with an ugly choice: risk driving to work on dangerous roads, or take a chance on a commuter rail system that has proven unreliable in bad weather. Convincing as many travelers as possible to choose public transportation is undoubtedly the safer option. That's why the MBTA's newly announced snow plan for the commuter rail system, to run a lighter schedule on snowy days this winter, is acceptable only as a stopgap measure.

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff/2011) Last winter's heavy snowfalls tested efforts to clear it. By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent The MBTA vowed today to improve snow removal at its 8,500 bus stops statewide, and other state and city agencies promised to communicate better with one another in order to clear roads and pedestrian paths as soon as possible. At a Boston City Council hearing this morning, a T representative said the agency will deploy new equipment this winter, and around 75 existing employees who have not worked on snow removal in...