BEFORE THE SNOW FALLS. MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR TELLS ME THE CITY IS TRYING WORKAROUNDS TO GET AS MANY PLOWS AND SALT TRUCKS ON THE STREETS AS POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND. STILL, WE’RE TOLD THE CITY’S PUBLIC WORKS FLEET IS DOWN BY ABOUT 25%, INCLUDING THIS PLOW IN THE CITY GARAGE DRONE FOUR VIDEO SHOWS DOZENS OF VEHICLES WAITING FOR REPAIRS AT THE CITY GARAGE, INCLUDING SOME SALT TRUCKS AND PLOWS. PROBLEMS WITH THE CITY FLEET HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR AND OTHER OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE WORKING TO GET TRUCKS BACK ON THE ROAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT THE YEARS LONG BACKLOG WILL NOT BE FIXED BY THIS WEEKEND. SO THE MAYOR SAYS THEY ARE TRYING OTHER MEASURES TO MAKE SURE THE STREETS ARE SAFE. WHEN WE HAD A LITTLE DOWNTIME, WE WERE WE WERE TRAINING SOME MORE DRIVERS, WHICH IS HELPFUL. WE’RE TRYING TO FIT ABOUT 18 TRUCKS WITH NEW EQUIPMENT SO THAT THEY CAN BE UTILIZED ON OUR STREETS. OBVIOUSLY, THAT’S NOT GOING TO BE FULLY READY, BUT IF WE CAN RAMP UP A COUPLE AT A TIME, EVEN THE GARAGE WHERE WE SEND OUR TRUCKS, WE’VE ALREADY GIVEN THEM NOTICE. STAY OPEN EXTENDED HOURS ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, OVER THE WEEKEND, I SPOKE TO COUNCILMAN ANTHONY COGHILL, WHO REPRESENTS SOME OF THE CITY’S BUSIEST NEIGHBORHOODS, INCLUDING THE SOUTH SIDE SLOPES. HE TELLS ME HE IS VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE RESPONSE THIS WEEKEND DUE TO THE SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS, BUT HE IS CONFIDENT THAT OVER THE LONG HAUL, THE NEW MAYOR WILL GET THE CITY’S FLEET UP TO STANDARD. REPORTING FR
City of Pittsburgh prepares for snowstorm with depleted fleet
Updated: 6:58 PM EST Jan 22, 2026
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor said he is performing workarounds to ensure city streets are plowed in spite of a depleted Public Works fleet.About 25% of Public Works vehicles are out of service, according to City Council member Anthony Coghill.”Mayor O’Connor does not have a magic wand. He can’t put those, however many, 30 or so vehicles that are out of service for just snow removal back on the road tomorrow,” Coghill said.O’Connor said he is taking other measures to boost the number of trucks on the road.”When we had a little downtime, we were training some more drivers, which is helpful. We’re trying to fit about 18 Parks Department trucks with new equipment so that they can be utilized on our streets,” O’Connor said.The mayor also said the city garage will stay open all weekend to service any trucks that break down.”We want you to be able to go where you’re going, and it’s our job to be proactive and make sure the streets are in good shape,” O’Connor said.Coghill said he is worried about the steep hillsides in his district, which includes the South Side Slopes neighborhood. But he said he is confident the new administration will eliminate the backlog of broken-down vehicles.”It’s taken years to get to this point, but I’m very confident that the focus that this administration is showing on our fleet and on public safety in general is going to turn things around,” Coghill said.
PITTSBURGH —
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor said he is performing workarounds to ensure city streets are plowed in spite of a depleted Public Works fleet.
About 25% of Public Works vehicles are out of service, according to City Council member Anthony Coghill.
“Mayor O’Connor does not have a magic wand. He can’t put those, however many, 30 or so vehicles that are out of service for just snow removal back on the road tomorrow,” Coghill said.
O’Connor said he is taking other measures to boost the number of trucks on the road.
“When we had a little downtime, we were training some more drivers, which is helpful. We’re trying to fit about 18 Parks Department trucks with new equipment so that they can be utilized on our streets,” O’Connor said.
The mayor also said the city garage will stay open all weekend to service any trucks that break down.
“We want you to be able to go where you’re going, and it’s our job to be proactive and make sure the streets are in good shape,” O’Connor said.
Coghill said he is worried about the steep hillsides in his district, which includes the South Side Slopes neighborhood. But he said he is confident the new administration will eliminate the backlog of broken-down vehicles.
“It’s taken years to get to this point, but I’m very confident that the focus that this administration is showing on our fleet and on public safety in general is going to turn things around,” Coghill said.