Friday’s Headlines: Misreading DOT Remove As Don’t Remove Edition

In New York City, the local Department of Transportation has been (mostly) praised for its efforts to remove snow and return streets to something usable.

But upstate, it’s a different story.

State Department of Transportation officials have been pushing this weekend’s snowfall on the Congress Street Bridge between Troy and Watervliet onto the sidewalks. Days later, no one is quite sure who’s responsible for removing that snow to allow pedestrians to cross. And that confusion persists along the Hudson River, according to Capital Streets.

Yes, there was a lot of snow, but that’s no excuse for not failing to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists are safe and have equal access to the places they need to go without having to share the road with car drivers at maniacal speeds. As Thursday morning’s crash on the Troy-Menands Bridge made clear, it’s not a safe proposition.

In other news:

• Albany towed more than 300 cars during the snow emergency after some residents reported confusion about snow emergency parking. (The Times Union)
• The woman who proposed horse carriage rides in Kingston might lose her steeds as she faces eviction, (The Times Union)
• Motorists in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey are losing $4,000 a year to crappy roads. (Newsday)
• A child died after being hit by a bus driver in New Square in Rockland County on Thursday morning. (The Monsey Scoop)
• Former Oneida County Legislator Mike Gentile will seek the Republican nomination in the 119th Assembly District, north and west of Utica. (State of Politics)
• The Village of Pittsford plans to ban the riding of scooters, bicycles and electric bicycles. (The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)
• Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens wants to prevent her city from becoming Central New York’s answer to Minority Report. (Central Current)