Mayor Walsh Addresses School Closings, Snow Removal, and the MBTA

February 12, 2015

By Amelia Fabiano 2-10-2015

Mayor Marty Walsh is reassuring the City of Boston that cleanup crews are working around the clock to clear roads and that Boston public schools will reopen on Wednesday.

Referring to the possibility of more snowstorms predicted for this week, Walsh, at a Tuesday press conference, said, “At the end of the day, we’re putting the safety of the kids first.”

To make up for time already lost in school, Mayor Walsh confirmed that school will be held on Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day, two holidays that schools usually have off.

The MBTA also announced on Tuesday that services will resume on the commuter rail, subway and trolley on Wednesday, but with modified schedules and less frequent stops. Mayor Walsh’s parking ban will remain in effect until 5 p.m. tomorrow as well to aid with clearing the streets of snow.

Out of the $18.5 million snow removal budget for this year, the city has already spent over $30 million.

Walsh stated that they are not ruling out dumping snow into the Boston Harbor, but they will only use it as a last resort. He said that snow farms are currently melting snow from the city at a rate of 430 tons of snow per hour.

Over the last 17 days, nearly six feet of snow was dumped on the city of Boston. Mayor Walsh said this is over two winters’ worth of snow the city has gotten in the past three weeks alone.

“We are a great city here in Boston. We are a strong city,” Walsh said. He reminded Boston to reach out to neighbors where help is needed.