Bridgeport Snow Update:
Heavy snow, dangerously cold temperatures in the forecast
for Southern Connecticut Thursday night into Friday morning
National Weather Service forecasting 6-8 inches of snow; Alternate side of the street parking rules remain in effect
All of the City’s Senior Centers will be Closed on Friday, Jan. 3

BRIDGEPORT, CT (January 2, 2014) –  An advancing winter storm threatens to bring heavy snow and frigid cold temperatures to Southern Connecticut, with the heaviest snow falling later this evening (Thursday night) into Friday morning. According to the National Weather Service, residents in the Bridgeport area can expect anywhere from 6 to 8 inches of snow to accumulate during the next 18 hours with high wind gusts causing blizzard-like conditions during the height of the storm.

A snow emergency remains in effect throughout the city, and Mayor Bill Finch urged residents to stay off the roads as much as possible during the overnight hours at the height of the storm.

“With as much as 8 inches of snow expected to hit our area, this storm has the potential to be a major weather event. It is critical that all residents comply with the Snow Emergency parking rules to ensure that the City’s roads are cleared as quickly as possible. Please stay off the roads throughout the duration of the storm and allow our crews to work,” said Mayor Finch. “The temperatures could drop dangerously low tonight into tomorrow morning – please check in with your family, friends, and elderly and vulnerable neighbors who may need help.”

Snow Emergency parking rules are currently in effect until further notice. City crews have pre-treated all roads, and Bridgeport Police Department is enforcing the Snow Emergency parking ban to ensure that plows will be able to effectively clear City streets.

During a snow emergency, residents must move their cars off posted Snow Emergency streets or be subject to fines and towing. Alternate-side-of-the-street parking rules are in effect for all other streets throughout the City in order to allow snow plow drivers’ clear passage. To comply with the Snow Emergency Alternate-Side-of-the-Street Parking Rules, residents must move their cars to the ‘even-numbered’ side of the street and remain on the even-numbered side of the street until the odd-numbered side of the street has been cleared. (House numbers ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 constitute the even-numbered side of the street.)

During the storm, residents may use the following school parking lots to move their cars off the street: Cesar Batalla School, 606 Howard Ave.; Central High School, 1 Lincoln Blvd (Madison Avenue entrance); Geraldine Johnson School, 475 Lexington Ave.; Luis Munoz Marin School, 479 Helen St., and Jettie Tisdale School, 250 Hollister Ave. A full list of Snow Emergency parking areas can be found at the following link: www.bridgeportct.gov/snow-emergency-parking-lots.

Snow Emergency streets are marked with white signs with red lettering. A list of snow streets can be found on the City’s website — http://www.bridgeportct.gov/snowemergencystreets . No parking is allowed on Snow Emergency streets. Vehicles left on snow emergency streets after the ban goes into effect will be subject to fines and towing.

The Department of Public Works currently has approximately 37 pieces of equipment on the road, and all roads have been pre-treated in advance of the storm. Crews will be working on staggered shifts throughout the night.  At this time, the Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center is partially activated and will continue to monitor the storm throughout the evening and into the early morning hours.

All of the City’s Senior Centers: Dwight Eisenhower Center, North End/Bethany Senior Center, Black Rock Senior Center and the East Side Senior Center, will be closed on Friday, Jan. 3.

Residents in need of information regarding shelters should call the state’s 2-1-1 hotline.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Southern Connecticut and most of the Lower Hudson Valley with “heavy snow…strong winds and very cold wind chills expected tonight into Friday afternoon.” National Weather Service is forecasting snow accumulations of 6 to 8 inches.

Updated Garbage and Recycling Pickup Schedule from the Department of Public Works: Garbage and recycling pickups for Thursday will be picked up on Saturday, Jan. 4. Garbage and recycling pickups for Friday will be picked up on Sunday, Jan. 5. Regular garbage and recycling schedules will resume on Monday, Jan. 6. The Transfer Station will be closed on Friday, Jan. 3 and Saturday, Jan. 4.

During the storm, residents with non-emergency, weather-related questions or concerns should call the City’s BConnected Call Center at 203.576.1311 or the Emergency Operations Center at203.579.3829. Residents can use the City’s BConnected request system online atwww.bridgeportct.gov/bconnected  or on the BConnected mobile application available on iPhone or Android smartphones to report any snow-related concerns.

For the latest updates, resources and information about the snowstorm, residents are asked to check www.bridgeportct.gov/snow, local television and radio news outlets and follow the City of Bridgeport on Twitter (@CityofBptCT) and Facebook (facebook.com/Bridgeportct) and Mayor Bill Finch on Twitter (@MayorBillFinch) and Facebook (facebook.com/MayorBillFinch). Twitter users should also follow and use the hashtag, #SnowBpt for all snow-related tweets.

Note from Bridgeport Police Dept.: Vehicles left parked on snow emergency streets during the Snow Emergency will be subject to tagging and towing. Violating the alternate-side of the street parking rules also will result in fines. A list of snow emergency streets can be found on the City’s website by following this link: http://www.bridgeportct.gov/snowemergencystreets.

Note from Department of Public Works:

• During the snow emergency all City residents should heed alternate side of the street parking rules until the snow emergency has been lifted.
• Residents must have their cars parked on the ‘even-numbered’ side of the street to facilitate efficient snow removal. Once the ‘odd-numbered’ (house numbers ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9) side of the street is clear, residents can move their car to that side of the street so crews can clear the ‘even-numbered’ (house numbers ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) side of the street. Residents can then heed the alternate side of the street parking rules until the snow emergency has been lifted (park on ‘even-numbered’ side of the street on even-numbered calendar days and ‘odd-numbered’ side of the street on odd-numbered calendar days).
• The Department of Public Works reminds all residents and business owners to shovel the sidewalk and walkways in front of their home or business, including curb cuts, for pedestrian safety. If sidewalks are not cleared, the City may clean the sidewalk and charge the owner a fee for doing so, as well as impose a $100 per day fine for violating a City ordinance.
• Please do not shovel, or use a snow blower or plow to throw snow back into the street from your driveway or sidewalk. Anyone found throwing snow back into the street will be subject to a fine.
• Residents and business owners are also asked to clear fire hydrants and the immediate area around it of snow to improve neighborhood safety.
• The City’s Transfer Station on Asylum Street will be closed on Friday, Jan. 2 and Sat. Jan. 3.