Snow and ice linger; Which Philly neighborhoods are being ignored?

This article was updated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Following heavy snow last weekend, there are still many roads, sidewalks and bike lanes left unplowed throughout the city. 

The city’s “StreetSmartPHL” dashboard gives a look into which streets the city has plowed or salted during the storm. According to recent data, parts of Fishtown, South Philly, and North Philly haven’t gotten relief yet. 

Much of Fishtown around Girard Avenue appears to be unplowed as of Tuesday afternoon.

There are still challenges for both residents and cars in this area, said John Scott, president of the Fishtown Neighbors’ Association. 

“Residents have done a good job of shoveling the sidewalks, but you can’t really cross the street without walking in the middle of the street at times,” he said. 

He said that there have been city and contracted snow plows that have helped to clear many main roads – which may make travel here easier. However, he said, low-to-the-ground vehicles may struggle to drive around. 

“There is still a lot of snow in intersections, which may make these areas hard to get through,” he said.  

He added that most residential streets are not plowed down to the pavement, and that many narrow streets are blocked. He said the city’s StreetSmartPHL map is “hit or miss,” but that the neighborhood is ultimately just waiting on more plows when they are available. 

“We are just watching and waiting,” he said. 

One resident on Reddit described the scene in Fishtown on Monday, saying drivers “kept getting stuck on corners,” and that many parked cars appeared to be stuck. 

Northwest Philly also appears to have many streets unplowed, according to the most recent look at the StreetSmartPHL database. One resident said “you aren’t getting far” without an all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle. 

Parts of South Philly below Washington Avenue also appear to be unplowed, as of Wednesday morning. 

One resident in Point Breeze called side streets “completely impassable,” and other residents in South Philly called it “impossible” to move cars or navigate snow-packed side streets. 

Beyond the unplowed routes, many city roads may have fewer lanes or more snow as city officials work to clear the area. 

Pedestrians also continue to experience safety concerns as some sidewalks and crosswalks remain blocked by plowed snow, unplowed or icy. To report road issues and street damage, you can contact the Philly311 contact center.

SEPTA has restored all Metro service – but riders may still experience delays. Buses are running on a “line-by-line” basis, depending on road conditions in the area, with many routes still canceled. Regional Rail returned to operation Tuesday morning, but followed a Saturday schedule.  It resumed a weekday schedule on Wednesday.

Compounding the issues is the deep freeze that has settled in after the storm. The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, forecasts that temperatures will remain below freezing through at least next Sunday, which will be at least seven days in a row for everyone in the region. The last time that happened was the winter of 2017-18.

What that means is that even with sunny skies, minimal melting will occur, and the snow and ice will only harden — and become more difficult to move.

Ahead of the snowstorm, Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office emphasized the city’s focused response – including work by more than 1,000 city employees and 600 pieces of equipment. This includes “around-the-clock” operations and continued snow plowing and treatment of roadways. 

Philadelphia schools remained virtual on Wednesday. All city buildings are now open and operating on a normal schedule. 

The city also started a Lifting Operation on Tuesday evening to remove snow from Center City near City Hall. In an email, the city said these Lifting Operations have been “underway in neighborhoods across the city,” and that crews and vehicles will continue to lift snow as needed. 

The Streets Department also urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel.

The city’s Office of Emergency Management also sent out a citywide text alert Tuesday morning with a broken link, which appeared to reroute to a dubious, blocked website related to job advice in Indonesia.

The city did not respond to a request for comment on the status of plowing these areas at the time of this story’s publication. 

You can check the status of your roadways with the city’s interactive map.