After doing such a good job clearing the streets of the 28 inches of light fluffy snow, the Mayor dropped the proverbial snow ball during the 2nd storm of wet heavy snow. On Early Friday I heard Council woman Blackwell criticize the mayor for cutting back on the trucks being used for salt and plowing.
After spending Thursday night in center city I walked home on Friday morning to the 900 block of south 7th street in Bella Vista . After arriving home at about 9:00 am It took 2 minutes for me to realize how right Council woman Blackwell was. Even before I entered my house I watched car after car get stuck on slick, ice coated ruts with boiler plates that were as hard as rocks and 6-8 inches high. I called the police and 311 all day with no city response. Police cars, oil trucks, FedEx and UPS trucks, 4 wheel drive and suvs all got stuck. a neighbor’s cars got side swiped. My car was inches away from the same fate.
Friday night a police car that was taking a gun shot victim to Jefferson hospital emergency room got stuck. To quote one police officer; the only cars that have chains are emergency vehicles. The police can’t even get around.
This went on for two days and peaked last night when Septa, without supervisors investigating the routes ( complaints by three separate bus drivers) put the 47 in service. The first bus got stuck right in front of my house. I called 911 and the police came. I talked to the officer about the problem and she complained herself that even the police requests for plow and salt trucks for her beat went unanswered by the mayor the city and all else in charge. The city was literally ignoring South Philly; even toni Bella Vista. The first bus had to back out of the block and go up carpenter street. It took well over an hour. Two later buses had to do the same. Then about 10 o’clock another bus was stuck for almost 2 hours. In between, the constant sound of wheels spinning filled the night.
My last comment is that I can’t believe that my block is the only one being ignored or that it is worse than any other. This dropping the ball by the city has to have hurt the businesses who depend on deliveries.
If the police department can’t get the mayor, the city and the streets department to help with these conditions, what can we do?
Maybe we should have performance based salaries for all city officials.
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