Snow removal cost Philly more than double compared to usual winter

A rough winter took its toll on the Streets Department in Philadelphia. 

With lots of separate storms, Philadelphia Streets Commissioner David Perri told a city council budget hearing that snow removal costs more than doubled compared to the previous winter.

“We budget typically $4 million for contractor assistance, this year the cost was $7.9 million,” Perri said. “The overall total cost is approximately $18,149,000. On an average year we are looking at between $6 million and $7 million.”

Council members asked if the city issued more tickets in wealthy neighborhoods for failing to shovel sidewalks.   Deputy Streets Commissioner Donald Carlton denied any selective enforcement.

“After the snow subsides, we deploy enforcement officers equally based what’s available to us,” Carlton said. “We don’t select certain neighborhoods. Our enforcement units are already spread around the city evenly as possible, so when when we dispatch them they are sent to the neighborhoods they are normally assigned to not to certain sections of the city.” 

Now that the spring thaw finally has arrived, the Streets department is busy patching potholes.