Thirty-six hours after the Blizzard of 2016 dumped its last flake on Queens, life still isn’t back to normal in the “World’s Borough.”
Public schools are open, buses and subways are running — but many streets remain unplowed, according to numerous residents who shared their pictures and tales of woe on The Courier’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Some of them used the hashtag #plowqueens to express their frustration.
The Sanitation Department continues its efforts to clear the streets of Queens — where, in some neighborhoods, up to 34 inches of snow fell — but there have been reports of plows themselves becoming stuck on the snowy streets. Alex Blenkinsopp of Woodhaven reported that, as of 7 a.m. this morning, a Sanitation Department truck had been mired on 96th Street near 85th Avenue for 10 hours.
“This @NYCSanitation truck has been stuck, blocking my street, for TEN HOURS. Driver has waited all night,” Blenkinsopp tweeted.
Residents also protested through social media Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to open public schools on Monday even though many Queens streets remain blocked with snow. De Blasio is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. regarding the city’s response to the storm.
Though subways and buses are running, many are having difficulty reaching them due to blocked streets, sidewalks and bus shelters. People were forced to climb a hill of snow and wait in the street for a Q54 bus on Metropolitan Avenue and 80th Street in Middle Village. Commuters experienced similar problems on the northbound side of Woodhaven Boulevard at Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven.
Meanwhile, the Long Island Rail Road is working furiously to restore service to the Port Washington branch, which — despite statements on Sunday night that the system would be back in time for the morning commute — remains out of service Monday morning. Service on four other LIRR branches is also suspended; check the MTA’s website for additional information.
Check back with QNS.com later for further updates regarding the cleanup following the Blizzard of 2016. We encourage our readers to continue sharing pictures and locations of unplowed streets on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
