For Immediate Release: 1/27/2015 6:17 pm
Worcester, MA (January 27, 2015) - City government will re-open on Wednesday, after a two-hour delay for non-essential employees to ensure safe travel into work.
City Hall, the Worcester Public Library and the City departments at Meade Street will open to the public at 11:00 AM. Only the main downtown branch of the library will be open Wednesday, from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM. All other branches and One City, One Library locations will be closed on Wednesday.
The Worcester Public Schools and the Worcester Senior Center will be closed to the public.
City Manager Edward Augustus is urging local businesses to consider allowing their employees extra time to make it to work in the morning.
There is still snow to be cleaned up, and the Department of Public Works will continue to plow with a full 400 pieces of equipment until 8:00 PM on Tuesday, at which point all of the City's streets will be open for emergency travel. At that time, the City will begin to give some snow plow operators - many of whom will have worked the past 33 of 37 hours - a break.
"This storm is now one of the largest Worcester snowstorms on record," Augustus said. "The safety of the plow operators and public will not be well-served by having an overtired workforce operating two-ton machines on our City streets."
The City's entire fleet of snow removal equipment will be on the roads by 5:00 AM Wednesday to ensure the streets are ready for the morning commute.
The City's winter parking ban remains in effect. That means there is NO PARKING on any of the City's major roads, bus routes or any street downtown. Check the City's website for rules on your street.
The City of Worcester will again allow free overnight parking in City-owned garages overnight on Tuesday. Any vehicles in the garages should be moved by 6:00 AM Wednesday.
The shelter opened by the City and American Red Cross at Worcester Technical High School was closed around 1:00 PM. Fortunately, no residents needed its services. The City's Emergency Operations Center was closed around 3:00 PM. The City's response continues, but the need for a coordinated emergency response appears to have passed.
The Department of Public Works will pick up trash and recycling on Wednesday. Because of the storm cancelation, every route will be delayed one day.
Residents are reminded that the City's sidewalk ordinance requires property owners or residents to clear snow and ice from their sidewalks. We recognize that this storm is unusually challenging, and the City will be lenient in its initial enforcement of this ordinance. However, the City expects all residents to do their part to keep Worcester's sidewalks safe and passable for all their neighbors. The City also requests the help of residents in shoveling out the nearest fire hydrant to their property.
