Newton May Experience Plower Shortages This Winter

NEWTON, MA — Newton's Department of Public Works is warning residents that they could see a lag in the time it takes for the city to remove snow this winter due to a plowing service shortage.

According to Mayor Ruthanne Fuller's office, the Newton DPW is experiencing long delays in the delivery of equipment, vehicles, pavers, granite curbing, trash receptacle parts, and most electronic equipment.

In addition, Newton and surrounding communities are seeing a significant decrease in the number of contractors bidding on plowing services, and those who have bid do not have a sufficient number of drivers or enough equipment.

"As winter approaches, one of the most impactful repercussions of the pandemic is the shortage of and difficulty in recruiting contractors for most of the services we provide," said Fuller in an update Friday.

"We have worked diligently to improve our snow removal operations and response time," she continued. "Unfortunately, we anticipate the combination of the supply chain issues and especially the driver shortage to impact the time it takes us to clear streets, sidewalks, and parking lots."

Although things are not looking great for winter cleanup, the city is actively working to recruit contractors and drivers, said Fuller.

Anyone interested in providing snow plowing services is encouraged contact Jack Lovett, Department of Public Works Executive Administrator Jack Lovett at 617-796-1008 or jlovett@newtonma.gov.