Mayor Ryan Announces Winter Snow Plan With Increased Snow Removal Funding And New Equipment For Narrow Streets
2026–2027 plan includes $2.7 million for contracted snow removal, five smaller tractors, and upgraded snowplow tracking
Mayor Sean Ryan today announced Buffalo’s 2026–2027 Winter Snow Plan, outlining investments in snow removal, equipment for narrow residential streets, and technology to help crews respond to winter weather across the city.
The City has budgeted $2.7 million for contracted snow removal, an increase of $2.12 million over the $580,000 listed in last year’s plan. The funding supports the use of additional front-end loaders and dump trucks to remove and haul away snow when heavy accumulation exceeds what plows can clear.
The 2026–2027 snow plan includes the following improvements to the previous plan:
Better equipment for side streets. The City has purchased five smaller John Deere tractors to be equipped with large snow blowers. They are intended for some of Buffalo’s narrowest side streets, where traditional plows have less room to maneuver.
Upgraded snowplow tracking. A new mapping system will use GPS data to give DPW staff more accurate, timely information about the location and progress of City snow-clearing equipment. The plan also provides for an upgraded public map showing when City snow-clearing services were last recorded on individual streets with additional features including lane by lane breakdowns.
Additional salt supply agreements. The City has established two purchase agreements to procure a minimum of 25,000 tons of salt and is pursuing a third to reduce the risk of supply disruptions.
More support for keeping plow routes accessible. The Parking Department has added personnel and tow trucks to help address vehicles blocking snow-clearing operations. Plow drivers can now immediately contact the Parking Department about vehicles impeding snow removal operations with the touch of a button.
Winter maintenance of bike infrastructure. The plan calls for clearing protected bike lanes and off-street bike paths following residential plowing. The Engineering Division will equip pickup trucks and smaller vehicles with plows to support this work.
Earlier coordination and closer review during storms. The plan formalizes daily operational briefings and situation reports, allows the Emergency Operations Center to activate before a formal emergency declaration, and adds University at Albany Mesonet forecasting information to support preparations.
The City is also working to rebuild its plow fleet, with 10 new vehicles on order, including six that could be available during the latter half of the winter season. The plan identifies a longer-term goal of maintaining an operational fleet of 34 dual-axle trucks on a five-year replacement cycle.
The plan also maintains the goal of completing at least one plow pass on every residential street within 24 hours after a snow event ends. Crews prioritize primary and secondary streets, including bus routes and access to emergency facilities, before transitioning to residential streets. Continuing snowfall, extreme conditions, and vehicles blocking streets can affect that timeline.
Public information will be shared through BUFFALERT, local media, and City communication channels. The plan also calls for coordination through Erie County’s Community Organizations Active in Disaster network to help community groups share critical information with residents, including immigrant and non English-speaking communities.
Residents are encouraged to follow posted parking restrictions, monitor City announcements during winter weather, and sign up for BUFFALERT by texting their ZIP code to 38276 or visiting www. buffalony.gov/buffalert.