Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Winter Preparedness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sanitation and Emergency Management outline winter readiness for Queens ahead of forecasted storm
Summary
DSNY and New York City Emergency Management briefed the Queens borough board on staffing, equipment, and public guidance for winter 2026: DSNY detailed thresholds for plowing, brining and salt use and said more GPS-tracked plows and spreaders are available; NYCEM emphasized personal preparedness and Notify NYC alerts.
Antonio Whitaker, assistant director in the Department of SanitationPublic Affairs unit, and Dustin (special projects administrator for New York City Emergency Management) told the Queens borough board that the city is prepared for likely winter weather this week and outlined how residents can monitor and respond.
Whitaker said DSNY clears more than 19,000 lane miles across New York City and can scale operations when needed. "We have over 2,000 vehicles with the ability to plow, ready to go," he said, adding that the department has "over 700 soft spreaders" and "over 700,000,000 pounds of salt, ready to be spread." DSNY described operational thresholds: spreaders are deployed for light accumulations below about 2 inches, plows are used at roughly 2 inches, full plow and spreader coverage is triggered at about 4 inches, and melting/hauling operations are assessed for storms of roughly 8 inches or more.
Whitaker also described pre-storm brining (deployed up to 24—648 hours in advance), GPS vehicle tracking through DSNYBlade Runner to show progress in real time, and the Plow NYC map, which DSNY updates every 15 minutes so residents can check local plow activity.
Dustin urged individual preparedness and signing up for city alerts. "Take three simple steps: make a plan, gather supplies, and stay informed," he said, directing residents to Notify NYC for official alerts in multiple languages and to 311 for enrollment assistance.
During public questions, speakers pressed DSNY on coordination with 311 when residents report uncleared sidewalks, oversalting in mild conditions, and support for seniors who cannot shovel. One attendee said callers sometimes find 311 is "not taking a request" even when a request appears to meet posting thresholds; Whitaker acknowledged the problem and said DSNY posts the official time when snowfall ends to reduce confusion and will continue coordinating with 311.
On oversalting, a board member asked whether crews were "pounding" salt in conditions that later warm; Whitaker said crews start salting when they observe flurries but will relay the concern to the commissioner and strive to avoid overuse.
On assistance for seniors, Whitaker said emergency snow shovelers (paid temporary hires) are typically deployed for major events and are used to clear bus stops, step streets and transit access, not private properties; he said recruitment for those temporary positions is under way and that pay starts at about $19 per hour.
The presentations closed with reminders about agency roles: parks handles sidewalks and crosswalks within parks, DOT is responsible for bridges and overpasses, and property owners are required to clear adjacent sidewalks within the statutory timeframes DSNY described (fines up to $250 for violations). Whitaker encouraged residents to report chronic problem properties directly; he provided a departmental email for follow-up on specific locations.
The borough board did not take formal action on these presentations. DSNY and NYCEM said they will continue public outreach and coordination with community boards and 311 as the season progresses.
