Syracuse is known as one of the snowiest cities in the United States, and this winter has proven to be no exception. More than 100 inches of snow has already fallen throughout the area.

And, amid concerns of residents walking in Syracuse streets due to snow accumulation, the city’s Innovation Team on Thursday night hosted a “Snow Safety Summit” at Dr. Edwin E. Weeks Elementary School on the city’s North Side to brainstorm solutions to the obstacles heavy snowfall can create.

Circled around the school were various stations, from a “Winter Fun” station — run by staff from the city’s parks department — to a solution station, where attendees could vote on ten proposed solutions to issues caused by snow.

Syracuse resident Caroline Rosato said that, although she shovels her own driveway and walkways, her neighbors rarely help clear away snow. And, often within the hour of her shoveling, a city snowplow fills her driveway back in with snow, Rosato said. She said the snow is a “no-win situation.”

Another resident at the summit, Kai Stenson, said everyone needs to pitch in to keep sidewalks clear in the community, as part of a team effort.

Sam Edelstein, chief data officer of the Innovation Team and a Syracuse University alumnus, ran one of the stations. Taped to the wall next to him was a laminated map of Syracuse, and attendees were welcomed to come place colorful stickers where they have felt endangered by accumulated snow.

“Especially being near the university, there are a lot of places where sidewalks aren’t shoveled, and that means that people have to walk in the street,” Edelstein said. “When cars are driving in a snowy road, we know it’s not the safest thing in the world.”

He said he hopes that clusters of colorful dots placed by city residents will give the team a sense of problem areas that should be addressed.

Sarah Casey sat at the “Journey Mapping” station. She’s co-chair of Adapt CNY, a regional volunteer organization, and a member of the Transit Task Force. She said heavy snowfall in Syracuse can be especially cumbersome for residents who rely on public transportation and cleared sidewalks to reach their destinations.

Casey said she thought the snow summit was a “step in the right direction,” but issues “won’t change overnight for people.”

Residents on Thursday were also able to discuss ways Syracuse could better utilize its wintery conditions as an asset at the “Winter Fun” station. Edelstein said he hopes the city eliminates outdated legislation that outlawed sledding in Syracuse in 1933 as a part of this effort. He said he wants to “highlight the snow, rather than just (think) of it as a burden.”

“We often think about snow as a problem here, but we’re one of the snowiest cities in the country,” Edelstein said. “We should take advantage of that and talk about how we can have more fun in the snow.”

Published on February 16, 2018 at 5:06 pm

Contact Quinn: qdgawron@syr.edu