Providence Mayor Brett Smiley says the city dropped the ball on last week’s storm.
He says the city could have used more plows and people.
The mayor says he could have kept schools' home a day or two longer last week and would have made more progress, but that would have negatively impacted working families.
Mayor Brett P. Smiley announced today a targeted effort to ensure that missed trash and recycling in Wards One, Two and Three due to complications brought on by the snowstorm can be accessed on Monday, February 2. Following limited participation in trash and recycling pick-up last week and difficult conditions, the City is implementing an alternate side parking plan in these wards to make carts accessible to Waste Management trucks.
“Last week our state experienced the most substantial snowstorm in years, complicated further by prolonged extreme temperatures throughout the week. I share the community’s frustration about the extended length of clean-up efforts and want our neighbors to know that our crews have worked around the clock to clean our streets and make navigating the city easier and safer in every neighborhood,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “In order to ensure that our neighbors and local businesses that were not able to have their trash picked up last week due to complications from the storm do not experience further interruptions, we are asking for our community’s support in complying with Sunday’s alternative side parking plan overnight on Sunday. This temporary parking plan will allow large Waste Management trucks to remove trash and recycling on Monday.”
The mayor says in a statement due to last week’s heavy snowfall and extreme cold temperatures, less than twenty five percent of residents and businesses participated in trash and recycling services which were operating on a one-day delay. In an effort to ensure that this week’s trash and recycling is picked up without further interruption, the City is instituting a temporary alternate side parking effort in Wards One, Two and Three.
Beginning on Monday at 12:01AM on February 2nd residents in Wards One, Two and Three with permitted overnight parking passes will be allowed to park on the odd-numbered sides of the street only and are asked to place trash and recycling carts on the even-numbered sides of the street. Residents that do not have permits will be ticketed.
(Photo: John Baibak, NewsRadioRI)