Mayor Ed Pawlowski is declaring a Snow Emergency in the City of Allentown effective at 6 o’clock this evening.
By ordinance, a “snow emergency,” requires owners to remove their vehicles from posted routes. Signs are posted on snow emergency routes, which are also published on the city website, www.allentownpa.gov. City Streets Superintendent Mark Shahda warns that vehicles left on designated routes during a snow emergency will be ticketed and towed. Parking is prohibited on the routes until the emergency is officially lifted. Residents should also go the city website or avail themselves of local news media sources to learn when the snow emergency is lifted.
City residents are advised to wait until plows have been down their street before shoveling driveways and ask residents to avoid throwing snow back onto the streets.
The Allentown Parking Authority is making five of its decks available for free parking for residents beginning at 6 o’clock this evening.
Walnut & Ninth (behind Holiday Inn at Ninth & Hamilton)
Spiral Deck (on Linden between Eighth & Ninth)
Allentown Transportation Center (ATC) (Sixth & Linden)
Government Deck (Fourth & Hamilton)
Community Deck (Sixth & Walnut)
The Allentown Fairgrounds parking lot will also be available beginning at 3pm. Motorists are asked to enter at Gate 8 on Liberty Street.
Parking will also be available in Allentown School District lots as long as school is not in session.
According to Director of Public Works Craig Messinger, plows and salt spreaders are mounted on some 50 trucks to make traveling in the city as safe as possible. Messinger said, “We ask that the public please refrain from throwing snow into the street. We ask for your patience and cooperation to allow our crews to do their jobs.”
Plows will operate day and night working to keep main arteries open and then shifting to secondary roads and alleys. The city has more than 440 miles of roadway that consists of about 1,500 lane miles that need to be cleared.
The city has an ample supply of road salt and anti-skid material.
The city’s Emergency Operations Center will open at 6pm.
The city’s “Snow Operations Hotline” will be staffed throughout the Snow Emergency at 610-437-7669.
Please do not call 9-1-1 unless it is an emergency. Do not call 9-1-1 because your street has not been plowed. Contact 610-437-7669 for updates on snow plowing activity in your neighborhood.
Trash and Recycling Collections are cancelled for Monday night, March 13, and Tuesday night, March 14. Residents are asked to hold their recyclables until next week. Trash collection for these residents will resume on Thursday night and Friday night, respectively. If possible, residents are asked to hold their bulk items until next week’s bulk collection night.
More information will be available at www.allentownpa.gov/snowemergency
--30--