Allows for Round-the-Clock Storm Readiness;
Collection Times Could Vary
The New York City Department of Sanitation announced that it has transitioned its operations to a winter schedule. Long known as “Night Plow,” the Department schedules more employees to overnight hours during the winter to respond promptly and effectively to snow conditions around the clock. This winter shift is in addition to the unprecedented amount of nighttime trash and recycling collection already in place – all part of ongoing efforts to decrease the time that material sits on the streets and create a cleaner City with fewer rats.
When it is not snowing, Sanitation workers scheduled for the night shift are frequently assigned to cleaning or collection duties, and as a result, residents may notice their trash, compost and recycling collected at a slightly different time. The Department reminds residents: If you don’t put your trash out at the right time, by midnight, you risk missing your pickup.
The Department’s focus on data and “on-the-ground” observations helps determine the start and stop of the winter operations. This year’s announcement comes later in the year due to the earlier unseasonably warm temperatures. The winter schedule generally lasts at least through mid-April, but the Department will re-evaluate in the weeks and months to come.
The Department of Sanitation has a frontline defense of more than 700 salt spreaders dispatched at the first sign of frozen precipitation. Once two inches of snow has fallen on the City’s streets and highways, the Department can deploy its more than 2,000 plow-equipped trucks to clear snow and ice. The Department is responsible for more than 19,000 lane-miles of roadway in the City. For further information on Sanitation services, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/sanitation.