New York, N.Y. – Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani escalated his criticism of Mayor Zohran Mamdani as piles of snow and uncollected garbage continue to clog New York City streets more than 10 days after a major winter storm, saying the prolonged cleanup reflects a breakdown in basic city services.
The storm dropped more than a foot of snow across the five boroughs and was followed by sustained freezing temperatures, leaving hardened snowbanks that block roadways and trap garbage bags to sidewalks. Residents in multiple neighborhoods report missed trash pickups lasting several days, with frozen waste accumulating at curbs and corners.
The Department of Sanitation says it is running roughly 24 hours behind on collections as crews focus on clearing snow to access trash routes. About 2,500 sanitation workers, supported by roughly 1,500 other city employees, are working extended 12-hour shifts to remove more than 122 million pounds of snow, clear over 44,000 crosswalks, and reopen 16,000 bus stops.
City officials say the cold has slowed progress, preventing snow from melting and turning piles into solid ice formations that block plows and sanitation trucks. Snow melters are being used in key areas, but DSNY has acknowledged that garbage collection cannot fully resume until streets are passable.
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Mayor Mamdani has defended the response, saying sanitation crews are working faster than during comparable past storms and urging residents to continue placing trash out on their normal schedules despite delays.
Giuliani, who led the city through multiple major snowstorms during his tenure, directly contrasted those efforts with the current situation. “As mayor—during storms—New Yorkers knew the streets would be plowed, trash would be picked up, and the vulnerable would be protected,” Giuliani said. “We cleaned up snow so fast people complained they didn’t even get a day off work. Compare that to now, 10 days after a storm.”
Key points from the ongoing cleanup include:
- Trash collection delays caused by frozen snowbanks blocking access to curbside garbage.
- Thousands of sanitation and city workers deployed to clear snow and reopen streets.
- Public criticism over missed pickups and lingering hazards days after the storm.
DSNY has not given a specific date for a full return to normal collection schedules, citing continued freezing temperatures and the need to clear remaining snow-packed streets before garbage trucks can reach all neighborhoods.
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