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Bloomberg's Blizzard Response Still Gets Boos in 2011
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 1, 2011
Modified Jan 2, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 1, 2011
Modified Jan 2, 2011
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Sure, Mayor Bloomberg got to ring in 2011 in Times Square amid excited revelers, but he's getting the Bronx cheer from the papers. The Post makes the Katrina-comparison on its front page and declares, "Mayor Bloomberg yesterday had his 'Katrina' moment -- hailing his Sanitation commissioner amid a torrent of criticism over the department's bungling of the blizzard cleanup. Bloomberg warmly praised Sanitation Department boss John Doherty -- and promised him his job was safe -- in a moment reminiscent of then-President George W. Bush's infamous endorsement of FEMA chief Michael Brown in the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when Bush said, 'Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.'" Hey, it's character-building, right?
During the WOR radio show, Doherty said he hoped to work another three years under Bloomberg, and the mayor said, "You will do another three. That you don't have to worry about." Of course, while Doherty is getting blamed, there's also the suggestion that Deputy Mayor of Operation Stephen Goldsmith mishandled things, from not calling/suggesting a snow emergency to micromanaging the layoff-plagued Sanitation Department as well as rumors that Sanitation snow plow crews planned a slowdown. Governor Paterson, in his last days in office, called for an investigation of the so-called slowdown, and Mayor Bloomberg has also called for an investigation into the city's sub-par response.
The Daily News looked at the difference in snow plow response rates (as in, a plow making at least one pass) in Manhattan vs. Brooklyn and Queens:
"A Daily News review of Department of Sanitation records shows a stark disparity in the time it took to clear Manhattan streets and the time it took to plow out much of Brooklyn and Queens.
The records show south Brooklyn neighborhoods - Carroll Gardens, Bay Ridge, Midwood, Flatbush, Mill Basin, Coney Island and Flatlands - were left largely untouched long after Manhattan was plowed nearly top to bottom.
By 4 a.m. Monday, all of Manhattan's primary routes and 92% of its secondary routes from Inwood to Wall St. were checked off as plowed...
Meanwhile in south Brooklyn, only 67% of the main routes and a scant 27% of its secondary routes had been plowed...
A similar disparity emerged in western Queens, which includes Astoria, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Flushing, Forest Hills, Elmhurst, Woodhaven and Kew Gardens.
There, 100% of the primary roads were cleared by 4 a.m. Tuesday, but only 47% of the secondary roads got plowed....
The tale of two cities continued well into Tuesday. By 5 p.m., all of Manhattan was deemed plowed, but only 46% of south Brooklyn's secondary streets had been cleared, and 10% of its main roadways had yet to see a plow.
The Department of Sanitation points out there were many abandoned vehicles in Brooklyn and Queens that prevented them for getting to some streets.
Tagged
blizzadgeddon
Blizzard
blizzard 2010
john doherty
mayor bloomberg
sanitation department
snow
snow plow
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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