CLEVELAND — After city leaders were criticized for not being prepared for the season's first winter storm last month, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb posted a message on Tuesday with an update on how his administration is planning for the upcoming heavy snow.
Bibb says the city will have an emergency snow parking ban in place from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 8 a.m. on Friday. "We ask that residents move their cars so crews can begin pre-treatment and salting of the streets," Bibb said. "Cars that are on the identified streats that are not moved may be ticketed or towed."
Building off of January's experience, Bibb says the city needs to have its residential streets serviced earlier before the completion of main roads. Additional plow trucks will be on hand to deal with the snow in residential areas while the fleet of remaining trucks will clear Cleveland's main streets.
"Our drivers will work every shift around the clock until all the roads are cleared," Bibb pledged.
The city of Cleveland will be partnering with the RTA and Greater Cleveland Alliance to ensure that all of the city's crosswalks and bus shelters are shoveled. 30 additional city laborers will be on hand to assist in the clearing of those areas.
Bibb added that the city's new online snow plow tracker will be up and running for this week's winter storm. Residents will also be able to call 311 for additional information on the city's snow plow progress. In addition, the Cleveland Department of Public Safety and Department of Public Works will be monitoring the status of the streets and identifying vehicles in distress.
"It's winter in Cleveland, folks," Bibb said as he closed his message. "This is not our first storm and it certainly won't be our last. Please have patience for our plow drivers as they work hard to clean our streets around the clock. If you can avoid traveling on the roads, please stay home."
Previous Reporting:
More Winter Weather Stories:
- High-impact winter storm timeline: What to expect from school closings to traffic conditions
- Need last-minute tips to get your car ready for winter storm? AAA has advice for Northeast Ohioans
- ODOT warns roads will likely be snow and ice-covered even with crews in full force during winter storm
- A look at the all-time record for snowfall events in Cleveland's history