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Not everybody thrilled with Boston's decision to open schools today
By adamg on Mon, 01/31/2022 - 10:04am
Ed Grzyb reports on the situation in Hyde Park:
No street parking for teachers in Hyde Park at the Roosevelt school due to snow / space savers. Side streets are impassable for MBTA and school buses. Why are schools open? There needs to be more snow removal done around schools ASAP
My wife, a teacher, had to park at Stop and Shop after her car almost got hit by an MBTA bus trying to go down the narrow road by her school. Her school only has a handful of spaces - they rely on street parking.
Meanwhile, City Councilor Kendra Lara (Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Mission Hill), says sidewalks and pedestrian crossings aren't so hot, either:
Are we all in agreement that we need a City plan for sidewalk and ramp clearing after a snow storm? It’ll bring us one step closer to people centered streets!
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Comments
The City has no plan for snow removal
They haven't invested in the necessary equipment to remove snow/melt it. They remove small portions in downtown, but the neighborhoods are largely left to themselves. We had a snow emergency in effect for nearly 36 hours after the last flake fell, yet emergency arteries were not cleared to the curb.
This is a failure that should have been rectified after the disastrous winter of 2015. Snow largely doesn't melt in January and February, so the city's removal plan of praying for warm temperatures and rain is foolish.
This is why people need to think about the role of a mayor in city government. You absolutely have to be able to provide the basics - efficient city services. This is the foundation of effective government, and it's a quality of life issue that affects every resident.
I know you just came to rag on the mayor
But allow me to respond.
The neighborhoods had plows and salters out during most of the storm. If I had to drive to the hospital, I could have gotten there reasonably safely. Saying the neighborhoods were "largely left to themselves" is just false.
It's going to be in the 40's starting on Wednesday and it will rain on Thursday.
Is this part of your stump speech?
Read more carefully.
My comment about the neighborhoods related to removal of snow. Plowing and salting are not snow removal. There was very little snow removal in the neighborhoods where people live. This evening I saw signs stuck in giant snow banks in the north end and Charlestown indicating snow removal would be occurring at some point. That’s encouraging.
It’s going to be a long four years for you if you feel the need to offer a point by point rebuttal of any critique if Michelle.
also Donald McKay school in Eastie
It was quite the mess around the school. Cars couldn't pass so the road was totally blocked. Busses couldn't get through to drop off and that was at 8am, I can't imagine how much worse it got.
I was walking to Maverick and was thankful I didn't need to drive today.
The city did a good job with the snow
Yes there is a lot of snow and many streets are narrower than usual. With that said, I think the city did a great job with this storm (your local conditions may vary.) A big earth-moving digger from the city came around on Sunday and moved literally tons of snow off the corners in my neighborhood to make it easier for cars and peds to get by.
Snow Removal
What neighborhood do you live in? I haven’t seen an earth remover anywhere in the city removing snow
I was going to make the same observation
On my walk from Roslindale Square to Forest Hills, I noticed that many of the corners appeared to be cleared out by front loaders.
As an aside, that Kendra Hicks is now Kendra Lara was something that slid through without any explanation, no?
An explaination or just a quick heads up?
I don't need to know the why, but knowing the who is certainly important when it comes to people in positions of leadership.
https://missionhillgazette.com/2022/01/07/council-welcomes-five-new-memb...
Ruins the slogan
"Dix for District Six""Lara for District Six"
Thanks for the info
And thanks to CW in Boston.
She's not my City Councilor, so I can't say I keep up on her, but as she was active on the campaign trail 6 months ago as Hicks, the change took me by surprise. Doesn't affect my view on her at all, as she should be judged by her actions, not by her name.
Kendra Lara
explained her name change in a tweet, a month or so ago.
There is a reason they clear
There is a reason they clear out a certain path in Roslindale.
Um, nope
Trust me. I walk the same walk that runs from the Wu house to the Charles Sumner School. It actually wasn't the best part of the walk, no different than in years past. Now, further down by Archdale, which is where Wu's driver speeds by on the way to Forest Hills- those intersections were cleared.
I don't think the city did a
I don't think the city did a bad job with the storm, but given how much snow there was and how bitterly cold it was this morning, canceling may have been a good choice anyway. It doesn't mean there was a failure, just that if you have record-setting snow you might need additional time to cope with it. My child also attends the Roosevelt and the roads around the school are always a tight squeeze for buses (there is an MBTA route that goes straight by it as well a the school buses). With the addition of this much snow it just tipped it past a manageable point - the city should try to identify this sort of location and have a plan for it, even if that is canceling a day of school to allow for additional clearing.
A thoughtful and measured
A thoughtful and measured response? Why, that's crazy - you'll never make it around here, keed!
Our JP school was completely
Our JP school was completely snowed in today. Nowhere to pull over to drop off kids and no way to park to help little kids and kids with extra needs to get out of the car and up the steps. I reported it to 311 but don’t expect much. Our wonderful custodian was out there trying to shovel out the whole street. Extra snow clearing should have happened around schools.
Little ones climbing over snow banks on my street
To get on the bus. Dangerous.
Boston didn't remove snow,they just pushed it around.
Specifically they pushed the
Specifically they pushed the snow from the street into sidewalks, crosswalks, ramps, bus stops and bike lanes. Once again drivers were spoiled at the expense of everyone else.
I'm amused by...
our Commonwealth's never-ending frustration of Mother Nature providing notable obstacles which interfere with carrying out "business as usual". I can envision our business-centric executives thinking, "The NERVE."
Equipment can only do so much, in relation to the availability of those who can operate it and/or are willing to spend for obtaining & utilizing it.
My town's school system cancelled all classes today, and while I can't relate to that decision (as I'd be told to "be careful" standing in the street and get as close to the sidewalk as possible), I have to respect the attempt in keeping the little ones, like my own, safe.
Ya, bad call!
I don't envy anyone making these calls. But, the city could have used another day to remove snow not just push it around. Streets, sidewalks and school parking lots were not ready to receive students. And I have a damaged bumper to prove it.
Another day
I don’t know about you but I haven’t seen anyone from the city clearing snow today. Rossie side streets were a mess this morning and this evening, no change. So calling off school wouldn’t change much, tomorrow will be just as bad.