Mamdani under fire for lack of snow, trash removal after NYC storm

New York City is still dealing with the aftermath of a late January snowstorm, and critics say Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration failed to bring in enough emergency snow shovelers before conditions worsened.

Nearly two weeks after a storm dumped close to a foot of snow across the city, residents are still reporting blocked bus stops, icy crosswalks, and delayed trash collection. City Hall sources say the Mamdani administration had too few temporary snow laborers in the field when cleanup demands peaked, reports the New York Post.

As of Tuesday, about 1,800 people were signed up for the city’s emergency snow shoveler program this winter. Following the Jan. 25–26 storm, a maximum of roughly 550 workers were deployed at one time to clear public spaces, including bus stops, crosswalks, and curb ramps.

That level is significantly lower than in previous years. During the 2015–16 winter season, the city recruited 6,454 shovelers and had up to 3,500 working simultaneously during major storms. That season saw nearly 33 inches of snow recorded in Central Park.

City officials say recent mild winters reduced the urgency around seasonal hiring. Under Mayor Mamdani, recruiting for the $19.14-per-hour positions only intensified after the storm, relying largely on ads and social media outreach even as forecasts pointed to extended cold and snow.

Republican members of the City Council say the Mamdani administration was slow to act. Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) said City Hall should have launched an aggressive recruitment push as soon as it became clear a major storm was approaching.

“Instead we saw a half-hearted outreach effort, and as a result we still have crosswalks and bus stops blocked two weeks after the snowfall,” Ariola said.

Council Minority Leader David Carr (R-Staten Island) said sanitation workers did what they could under difficult conditions, including nine consecutive days of subfreezing temperatures. Still, he said the administration dropped the ball by not hiring sooner.

“Anyone who looked at the forecast could see this was going to be a prolonged arctic blast,” Carr said. “The Mamdani administration didn’t get ahead of it, and now parts of the city are paying the price.”

Community groups echoed those concerns. Daniel Hill, communications director for Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol, said fewer shovelers were visible this winter compared to past seasons, with hydrants and street corners taking longer to clear.

The Sanitation Department defended the response, calling comparisons to 2015 misleading. The agency said this was the largest emergency snow laborer deployment since the pandemic and included rare overnight shifts, something not done in years. Officials also cited expanded staffing levels and specialized equipment now used in place of manual labor.