Bus commuters in New York City have grown increasingly frustrated with the stubborn snow mounds blocking their path from the sidewalk to the bus and want to know why they haven't been cleared days after the last big snowfall.
Margot Wiener's Upper East Side bus stop has become a dangerous obstacle course for her. She said she fell recently while trying to get on the bus, and is concerned about the snow piling up.
"I'm sure other people have fallen. It's very difficult," she said. "I know they have a problem because there's so much cleaning this year and so much ice."
NBC 4 New York cameras spotted tall frozen piles of snow at several bus stops along the M86 crosstown bus route Friday, including several that indicate the stops are wheelchair-accessible.
"A lot of the times the buses stop right where the mound is, and you're stuck and you're sliding around just trying to get on the bus. And it's worse when you get off the bus," said Joan Field of the Upper West Side.
Not all bus stops along the route were blocked by snow Friday; along Central Park West, there were still paths to walk toward the bus.
Snow removal at bus stops with shelters is handled by a private company, while other bus stops are cleared by the Department of Sanitation, according to the mayor's office. Commuters who encounter too much snow or ice at a bus stop should call 311, officials say.
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A spokesman for the sanitation department said it has cleared over 14,000 bus stops during the past few storms and will continue to clear them. Alternate side parking in the city has been suspended for nearly two weeks since a storm dumped a foot of snow in parts of the city.
Sidewalks are the responsibility of the building owner, and 2,800 snow and ice violations have been issued since Jan. 19, the spokesman said.
"I guess they're doing the best they can, but it can be better," said Field.
