By most accounts, the city's sanitation department did a good job clearing the snow after the storm. But initially at least, there were few drivers out on the city's streets to take advantage. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed this report.
Early Tuesday morning, Brooklyn had a thick coating of snow and the roads were drivable but mostly deserted, thanks to a driving ban on all non-emergency vehicles.
City officials credited the ban with allowing sanitation plows to do their work unimpeded, and as a result, by late morning many roads were clear right down to the pavement. Though with so many New Yorkers staying home for the day, even some of Brooklyn’s busiest thoroughfares remained all but empty.
NY1’s Bobby Cuza spent the morning and part of the afternoon driving around Brooklyn, and at no time, even after the driving ban was lifted did he find very much traffic on the roads. On a normal weekday or even a weekend, the Manhattan Bridge would be packed with traffic. Tuesday there was almost no one headed into Manhattan.
Instead, people found other ways to get around. The only bottlenecks found were in the parks where the traffic was stop and go.
“It’s a snow day. I mean, I think people are fine with not working. Right?” said one woman.
“It’s just fabulous. You get to play outside with the kids and go sledding and drink hot chocolate and just enjoy, you know, a city shutdown,” said another woman.
Indeed, nearly every small business in Brooklyn was closed Tuesday morning, though not everyone got the day off.
Icy sidewalks kept building superintendents and homeowners busy through sometimes blustery conditions. And while there were few drivers, some vehicles were put to new use, and plenty of people still took to the streets on foot.