Hundreds of New Yorkers filed complaints about unplowed snow in city parks following this week’s blizzard, with Brooklyn locations generating the most grievances, according to 311 data. As detailed in a previous report, the storm that blanketed the region was severe enough to cancel nearly all flights at NYC airports, and its impact extended well beyond transportation infrastructure to city parks and public spaces.
Between Feb. 22 and Feb. 26, residents submitted 172 complaints to the Department of Parks and Recreation about snow issues in or along park sidewalks, playgrounds, basketball courts and fields, according to city records analyzed by a local news outlet. These represented a fraction of the 18,081 total snow removal complaints filed during the same period.
Greenwood Playground in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, and Newtown Playground near Elmhurst in Queens received the most complaints, according to the data. Union Square Park, Tecumseh Playground on the Upper West Side, and Oakland Gardens Playground in Bayside also generated multiple complaints.
As of Feb. 27, the Parks Department had closed 31 complaints while 141 remained unresolved, according to city records.
The blizzard dumped significant snowfall across the region, with Staten Island bearing the brunt of the storm. Grasmere recorded 29 inches of snow while Todt Hill received 27.8 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
A Parks Department spokesperson said the agency deployed between 1,700 and 2,000 staff members working 12-hour shifts beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday to address snow removal. The department utilized 36 plows and more than 200 vehicles with plow capacity for the cleanup effort.
The recent storm added to an already challenging winter season. Since Jan. 29, the city has received approximately 32,146 snow-related complaints through 311 as New York experienced its most significant snowfall in a decade, according to city data.
The wet, heavy snow also caused extensive damage to the city’s urban forest. Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura reported that 223 trees fell during the most recent snowstorm, including 47 that blocked streets. Workers responded to more than 1,800 tree-related service requests and conducted more than 1,200 inspections.
Upper West Side Councilmember Gale Brewer criticized the Parks Department’s response in her district, where playgrounds remained problematic since last month’s storm and subsequent frigid temperatures. She sent a letter to Shimamura highlighting the disparity in snow removal efforts.
“Constituents reported narrow, barely cleared pathways adjacent to Sapolin Playground as well – contrasted with the mostly dry and widely cleared entrances to those school buildings by Department of Education custodial staff,” Brewer wrote in her letter to the commissioner.
Brewer questioned how jointly-operated playgrounds were maintained during extreme weather events.
Parks Department officials met with Brewer and Community Board 7 on Wednesday to address the concerns. They explained that staffing constraints limited their response capacity, with only 16 workers assigned to clear 24 properties in the area. These same workers were also responsible for clearing bus stops and other locations beyond park facilities.
The department’s challenges were compounded by equipment limitations. The area’s sole truck designated for snow removal was dispatched to plow other sites, leaving local parks with reduced clearing capacity.
The snow removal struggles highlight broader resource challenges facing the Parks Department. While Mayor Eric Adams campaigned on a promise to allocate at least 1% of the city’s budget to parks, his preliminary budget submitted this month fell short of that commitment.
New Yorkers flocked to city parks during the blizzard to enjoy sledding and snowman building, but the heavy snowfall stretched the department’s ability to maintain safe, accessible conditions across the system’s extensive network of facilities.
