BUFFALO, N.Y. — Business owners in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood know that snow is one of their biggest issues this time of year. 

“As a business owner and as a longtime board member at the Allentown Association, Allentown has its own unique set of problems, but the city of Buffalo, in general, has a huge problem with snow removal,” said Mickey Harmon, who is also a resident of Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood.

What You Need To Know

  • One thing people across New York can relate to is that one of the worst parts about winter weather is the snow

  • While some upstate cities like Syracuse and Rochester have snow removal programs, the city of Buffalo does not

  • The Allentown Association created the Allentown Snow Clearing Pilot this year to help shovel through the problem

Western New Yorkers are no strangers to snow impacting everyday life, which is why the Allentown Association created the Allentown Snow Clearing Pilot this year to help shovel through the problem.

“We kind of adapted a program to get volunteers involved and then from there, we can say, 'Hey, look at the energy we have here, we can now apply for funding for next year,'” Harmon said. 

The program uses neighborhood volunteers to shovel snow on the sidewalks.

“You can pick a block in Allentown and you just basically, when it snows if you’re able-bodied and you want to volunteer, you just go out there and you just not only shovel your block or your sidewalk, but you shovel your neighbor's sidewalk," said Harmon. "You shovel until you can’t shovel anymore."

It's a way to help solve snow-related problems that cities across the state can relate to.

“To further put roadblocks in front of businesses and residents and the elderly, making it harder for people to navigate the city, is another reason why people won’t come to the city,” said Harmon. 

With other cities across the state like Syracuse and Rochester already having snow removal programs, community members like Harmon are using their voices and their shovels to highlight the need for those programs.

“I’ve seen some discourse on social media saying 'I'd pay $20 extra in taxes to have all the snow [removed], so there are people that want this,” Harmon said.

It's also reminding community members of the pride that comes with taking care of their community.

“In the summer picking up trash,” Harmon said. “We’re just applying that same energy to snow. Mother Nature’s trash I guess.”