"This is a very, very good sign," said Patti Grow, 44, who has lived on Salaignac Street in Manayunk for 24 years and had never seen a plow near her home. "He's obviously listening to the people."
Street took a caravan of reporters from TV stations and newspapers along on his journey, clearly hoping for some positive press from the outreach effort. He earned cheers and thanks from residents at each stop.
"I am real sympathetic, believe me. I know what it's like to be stuck," said Street, who helped residents in his North Philadelphia City Council district shovel out after the blizzard of 1996. "People don't want to hear, 'We can't do this. Go get your shovel.' "
Even though Philadelphia is home to some of the narrowest streets of any city in the country, Street said, it is government's "responsibility" to help folks dig out from the snow on every block. But instead of pouring $40 million to $70 million into bulky equipment that might collect dust until the next storm, Street said, he wanted to find a way to use vehicles that the city already owned.
The mayor hopes to categorize and prioritize the city's maze of side streets, then send more of the pickup-truck plows once main roads are cleared. Street is also toying with establishing a database of residents who own four-wheel drives - an on-call citizens' brigade willing to pitch in and plow a dozen blocks each for a small payment.
"I don't know how practical any of this is," he acknowledged, citing liability issues and costs. "I haven't given up hope that we can do it better."
If yesterday's trial run is any indication, Philadelphia could soon join the ranks of other big cities that promise to plow all residential streets, regardless of size.
