This February was Syracuse’s coldest in recorded history, as the temperature never rose above freezing and the average temperature was a frigid 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Akin to the record freeze, this February there was total snowfall of 59.9 inches. While this winter was one for the history books, the city should have a preparedness plan in place to manage extreme snow removal.

So far this winter there have been 107.1 inches of snowfall in Syracuse. The prolonged freeze didn’t allow the snow to melt on its own and it also made the salt put down on roads ineffective. This led to messy roads and unreliable plow schedules. And the roads that were the most neglected were side streets. One Syracuse resident resorted to calling 911 last week after his road remained unplowed for several days, according to The Post-Standard.

The Department of Public Works responsible for snow removal within the city has likely been overwhelmed with the need for snow removal this winter. But this is not an excuse to let the roads reach a point that they are impassable and pose a danger to drivers and pedestrians alike.

The city should have a contingency plan in place that can accommodate these extreme winters. Often times, if the streets aren’t plowed in a timely manner, the snow is packed down and becomes immoveable. Because of this, a plan should be established to contract additional plow services, obtain a reserve of salt and hire the required man power. The city should make snow removal and clear roads a necessity. Investing in this plan should be a priority.

Many SU students have struggled with the driving conditions this winter. The East Neighborhood, where many students live, has fallen victim to the subpar plowing services.

One of the contributing factors to this problem is that cars are illegally parked on the side of the road, which makes it impossible for a plow to drive through. East Neighborhood residents should take care to keep the roads clear and abide by the posted parking signs as to not further complicate the plowing process.

In order to keep the streets safe, both the city and Syracuse residents should take responsibility for their actions. The city should enact a preparedness plan to deal with the snow fall and residents should not compromise the city’s ability to keep the roads clear.