Boston To Start 'Full Force' Snow Removal Monday Evening
BOSTON (CBS) -- The city of Boston is planning a "full force removal" of snow starting at 6 p.m. Monday following an unprecedented series of snowstorms.
Crews will be out during the day plowing snow and scraping it off the street, but Mayor Marty Walsh said he wants Boston roads as clear as possible for the evening.
"We're asking people to stay off the roads," Walsh said in a morning press conference. "There will be backhoes, front-end loaders and dump trucks blocking up arteries to try and widen the streets as best they can, and trying to get some of these large piles of snow off the street."
More than seven feet of snow has fallen in the city in less than a month. Walsh said he's personally taken calls to the mayor's hotline complaining of streets that haven't been plowed.
"As Boston digs out, I ask everyone to still remain patient and calm," Walsh said. "It's important that we stay focused and not let the frustration get the best of us as we move forward."
The mayor also took some time to chastise "foolish" behavior in the snow that he's come across on social media. He said he wants Boston residents to stop jumping out of windows and onto snowbanks.
"This isn't Loon Mountain. . . you could kill yourself," Walsh said. "I'm asking people to stop the nonsense right now."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karyn Regal reports:
Additionally, Walsh is warning about the danger of roofs collapsing under the weight of all the snow. He is asking landlords and homeowners to get a contractor to evaluate their roofs.
"We will have a collapse," Walsh said.
Financially, Walsh estimated that the city has spent about $36 million on snow cleanup - roughly double its original snow removal budget. He said Boston is hoping to get 75 percent reimbursement on the January blizzard cleanup from the federal government.
Walsh also noted that small businesses are losing out on thousands of dollars for every day that snow paralyzes the city.
"We're in very unusual circumstances," he said. "I've been struck over the last couple of days by how Bostonians have pulled together."
