Following multiple winter storms that brought over two feet of the snow to the New England region over the past two weeks, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh launched the “Boston Snow Stats” website Monday to more easily update the public on snow maintenance in the city.
In a Monday press release, Walsh stressed the importance of maintaining a relationship with the community through constant communication and transparency.
“With this tool, residents will now be directly connected to the snow and ice removal process in their neighborhoods,” he said in the release. “Thanks to the creative work of the Department of Innovation and Technology, and the Office of New Urban Mechanics, the public now has an inside look at the Department of Public Works, who are working round-the-clock to make roads safe and accessible across Boston.”
Residents can use the website to see an overview of the season’s total snowfall, as well as get updates on the snow removal processes in various neighborhoods, the release stated.
As of Thursday, the Snow Stats website revealed that over 150,000 miles of snow have been plowed and over 54,000 tons of salt have been used for maintenance during this season with a total of 53.4 inches of snowfall.
Snow Stats is a proactive stance on the government’s intended actions concerning the snowfall, said Susan Nguyen, a program director at the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics.
“The goal is to personalize and humanize the experience during any snow event. We know when snow happens, it causes a lot of stress and anxiety for the public,” she said. “It’s been such a positive response, and I hope it builds a positive relationship between the plowers and the community.”
The online public interface was crafted through a collaboration with the Department of Information and Technology, the Department of Public Works and the Office of New Urban Mechanics. Nguyen said the city is working toward an emphasis on personal touch.
“That [could] be sending out snow plows and giving the names of the people who are plowing —really being able to touch individuals who are sitting in their homes having concerns,” she said. “People are very warm to knowing who have been driving the streets for hours throughout the day.”
Residents may access the government site and receive neighborhood-specific information regarding the clearance of snow through the Snow Stats website. Currently, the neighborhood specific information is unavailable. However, Snow Stats instructs viewers to revisit the site during the next snow event.
This website speaks to the greater goal of maintaining and increasing transparency of government actions, said Nguyen, and Walsh intends to increase community engagement in citywide daily operations.
“This comes directly from the Mayor’s initiative of data driven, real service-oriented operations coming from all of the departments and being as transparent and clear about it with the public as possible,” Nguyen said. “Having that stance from the mayor trickles down to every office.”
Several residents said they understand that snowfall is inevitable and unavoidable, but they must still deal with the hassles it brings.
Laura O’Leary, 41, of Allston, said the introduction of this technology could be useful in citywide affairs.
“It’s a good idea,” she said. “Much like the T system, how they have that online system where you can navigate online, it’s a direction we are heading in. I’m not opposed to it.”
Originally from Rome, Paolo Ascenzioni, 36, of Jamaica Plain, said he is not used to the level of snowfall in Boston during the winter, and problems caused by excessive snowfall have affected his usual commute.
“It affected my life yesterday for example,” he said. “I left my job to go to school. I left for the Green Line to go to North Station. It didn’t show up, so I took another one to go to Park Street to change for the Orange Line for downtown. The platform was so crowded that I had to wait for three trains because if it didn’t stop right in front of you, you couldn’t get on. There were so many people. I was late. I couldn’t get to school.”
Ben Franco, 31, of Brighton, said the Snow Stats website is a helpful step toward relieving the stresses of the large amount of snow on the roads.
“The traffic has been bad. It’s tough to get around on the T. It’s tough to get to work and to get around town,” he said. “[The site] provides useful information to measure the response of the city for snowfall. In the past 7 days, there has been more snow than in the past quarter history of the city of Boston, so is it ideal? No. But I think they’ve done an admirable job opening the city up in a short amount of time.”
