STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — This weekend’s snowstorm marked the biggest test of New York City’s new snow-removal strategy, introduced in 2023 by former Mayor Eric Adams.
At the time, Adams and then-Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the Bladerunner 2.0 system would centralize deployment and real-time tracking for the city’s snowplows, salt spreaders and brine trucks.
While some Staten Islanders said they noticed improvements in their neighborhoods, others reported little change — and, in some cases, new frustrations.
People shovel their cars out of the snow on Oakwood Avenue near Forest Avenue in West Brighton on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)Mixed reviews from residents
Under an Instagram post on the Advance/SILive.com page, Woodrow resident @alex_colalillo said the plows were more hindrance than help on her dead-end block.
“Stuck in my block on a dead-end street in Woodrow,” she wrote. “They came by at 8 a.m. Sunday and did one side of the street. Then 8 p.m. yesterday they came by and pushed all of the snow from my side of the street at the dead end and dropped it all in front of my house, blocking my car in the carport.”
A reader who emailed the Advance/SILive.com, Tobi, said since the start of the storm Sunday, a plow came through Fort Hill Circle in St. George once very early Monday morning.
By later Monday, Tobi reported, the street was “barely passable.”
“I know the DOS works hard, but the North Shore…St George in particular… did not get plowed with the same thoroughness as other parts of the borough,” the reader said.
Praise for Sanitation
Others praised the Department of Sanitation for its efforts.
Instagram user @_riittaaaa applauded the department, acknowledging that even an upgraded system has limits.
“They did an amazing job!! Yeah the streets weren’t 100% clear, but the main roads are drivable, and they don’t have magic powers — so shoutout to them,” she wrote.
Another Instagram user, @ginaleebarrientos, said, “they did such a great job.”
User @angkennyjewels said the trucks plowed snow all night Sunday
“Great job,“ they said. ”It’s still going today on my block.”
Conditions across the borough
In West Brighton, plows came through around midnight Monday, according to Advance/SILive.com photographer Jan Somma-Hammel, though the cleanup had mixed results.
“The main streets are fine. The difficult part is navigating every corner,” she said. “Many of the corners have a bunch of snow and most of the roads have a little slush on them still, however, they are passable. I’ve been everywhere.”
Staten Island is blanketed in snow on Victory Boulevard near Cebra Avenue in Tompkinsville on the morning of Monday, Jan. 26, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)
Highways were largely down to pavement by Monday morning, and had been salted — including some of the borough’s major hills.
At Silver Lake, Parks Department employees were seen digging out a walkway to allow pedestrians to cross safely.
Manor Road was reported as fully plowed as well.
According to the city’s PlowNYC map, roughly 50% of the borough had been plowed as of 1 p.m. Monday.
What is Bladerunner 2.0?
Bladerunner 2.0 is the city’s revamped snow and operations tracking software, designed to provide better GPS data, real-time insights and improved performance during winter weather.
The system includes:
Enhanced GPS data and extended tracking windows.Google Maps integration with satellite and street-view modes.Real-time brine-application data.Layers showing brine coverage, snow-preposition points and protected bike lanes.Improved vehicle-locating tools and advanced search filters.A cloud-based system allowing more users and faster response times.
At its launch, Adams said the technology would help monitor and support the city’s roughly 5,000-vehicle fleet across the five boroughs.
Ahead of this storm, Sanitation began brining operations at midnight, applying liquid solution to highways to reduce early accumulation. With new investments this year, the department expanded brine application beyond ramps and shoulders to include the main beds of all highways — about 700 lane miles citywide.
A Sanitation spokesman said workers have been on 12-hour shifts and have plowed every city street at least once, with work continuing through the week.
The spokesman also noted that clearing sidewalks is the responsibility of property owners — or NYC Parks, if the sidewalk borders park property. Property owners aren’t legally required to have sidewalks cleared until 12:30 p.m. Monday.
Once snowfall reaches 2 inches, residents can track snow-removal progress at nyc.gov/PlowNYC.