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New York City Public Schools Closed Today

The decision was made shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday.

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A subway train exits a tunnel into snowfall as commuters wait at a station on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, in Brooklyn. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

A subway train exits a tunnel into snowfall as commuters wait at a station on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, in Brooklyn. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Updated 1/27/11 4:53 a.m.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — New York City public schools will be closed Thursday after a fast-moving storm moved full-force into the region overnight bringing an icy mix of snow and rain.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a winter weather emergency Wednesday and said sanitation crews were on 12-hour split shifts and as part of the city’s new 15-point snow action plan, developed earlier this month, equipment and personnel from the departments of transportation, parks and environmental protection will also be plowing streets from the outset of snow-clearing operations.


WCBS 880 Reporter Rich Lamb with Bloomberg’s reaction to our very snowy winter

In Whitestone, many residents wished the mayor had declared a full-scale snow emergency instead of the weather emergency, CBS 2′s Magee Hickey reports. “He should go all the way,” resident John Campo said. “He got burned once; he shouldn’t get burned again.”

Many in Whitestone expected the snow plows to pass them by again, like they said has happened in most snowstorms since the Lindsay administration. “I haven’t seen any plows here,” Roger Fahey said. “They forgot about us in the first snowstorm – everybody blew it.”

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READ: Town of Huntington Declares Snow Emergency

Snap a few pictures Wednesday? Send your storm photos to  news@CBSNewYork.com

1. The public is urged to avoid all unnecessary driving for the duration of the storm and until further directed, and to use public transportation wherever possible. If you must drive, use extreme caution. Information about any service changes to public transportation is available on the MTA website at the MTA’s Web Site.

“If you must drive during the rest of the day I strongly urge you to use extreme caution and to refrain from driving tomorrow — use mass transit instead,” Bloomberg said.

PHOTOS: Holiday Blizzard Of 2010

2. Any vehicle found to be blocking roadways or impeding the ability to plow streets shall be subject to towing at the owner’s expense.

3. Effective immediately, alternate side parking, payment at parking meters and garbage collections are suspended citywide until further notice.

4. The Emergency Management, Fire, Police, Sanitation, and Transportation Commissioners will be taking all appropriate and necessary steps to preserve public safety and to render all required and available assistance to protect the security, well-being and health of the residents of the City.

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  • bloomberg for president

    rubbish, Mr Mayor, just shut down the schools and save the city $$ from being sued …..

  • Coco

    Why do parents have to wait until 5 am? Can’t us parents figure it out for ourselves? My daughter is not going to school because I am letting her stay home. I don’t have to wait for Bloomturd to make my decision for me. Everyone, be a parent and don’t listen to the mayor. Make your own judgement. Come on. We are parents, not children. Stop blaming the mayor and get your butts an alternative plan or something. He doesn’t care about your children. You have to do that. Duh!

  • Durre Shahwar

    I think that’s stupid to get up at 5 in the morning just to see the announcement.It’s not fair with parents. Anyways I m not sending my kids God forbid they fall on sidewalk and hurt themselves. He is just unbelievable.

  • darweezzy

    suck on my nuts bloomberg

  • Mean Moron Mayor

    In 33 years NYC public schools were closed only 6 times due to snow storms. Close the dam schools already. The mayor is an idiot.

  • Chris

    I work in a public school. Regardless of what bloomberg says…I’m staying home. Parents should use common sense. Ithe few students that show up play games and watch movies. attendance rates were under 30% during the last big storm. Out of 500 special needs students only 31 showed up. So, what can these kids learn on a day like this?

  • Sara

    This week is regents week for most high schools. If the School closes, it totally going to mess up the regents schedules or maybe students still needs to go to school to take the regents.

  • ivan

    Wow Im 13 and i can’t seem to understand why he wont just close the school for a day to save a few lives? I mean seriously is he thinking like “I shall show how much i care for the student by risking their lives??”

  • TeacherMom

    Speaking as a NYCDOE Teacher and a parent, I had no alternative but to send my son (who has special needs) to school during the last snow storm. He was the only student present in his class and on his bus! The senseless decisions on the part of the mayor places lives at risk. What is he trying to prove? We already get that he could care less about teachers but what about the students claims to care so much about? Putting their lives at risk proves otherwise!

  • Valannin

    So it’s another weather emergency where New Yorkers are to expect dangerous conditions and are urged to keep off the roads? Except, of course, for the parents, teachers, bus drivers, school workers, and everyone else who has to drive to the schools?

    We’re not your babysitters, Emperor Bloomberg. Last time you dropped the ball, I ended up driving 10 miles an hour through the un-plowed, icy streets to supervise 200 kids in a gym for 5 hours. I didn’t get two Masters Degrees so you could pander to the State Education Fund and gloat about your attendance rates. Tomorrow, regardless of your decision, you’re paying me to stay home. I urge the rest of New York’s Brightest to do the same.

    • TeacherMom

      @ Valannin… couldn’t agree with you more! :)

    • Rebecca

      Agreed

  • LeslieS

    He can’t win. If the storm misses us, then everyone will be mad the school isn’t open. No matter what everyone complains.

  • Simon

    I am a parent and a NYC teacher. The last snowstorm, I was running around at the last minute trying to find someone to watch my kids because I wasn’t going to risk their safety even if the mayor doesn’t care. I figured they would sit in an auditorium and watch movies, they can do that at home safe!
    I then went to work, in a school for special needs children, where 53 students out of 300 or so showed up, and 80+ staff members out. The kids went into the gym and watched movies, so tell me, how are we essential people in an emergency situation? Are we educators or babysitters?

    • Terry6206

      Great comment — thanks for letting us know how it really is for teachers; common sense would help all around.

    • J. Marie

      Bloomberg seems to forget that although kids live within walking distance to their local public schools, the people who work in these schools do not! There are a lot of schools that are not near any kind of public transportation. So to declare a snow emergency for the city, but still open the public schools is a slap in the face to all public school employees! He’s blatently telling them that he doesn’t care about their safety!

      • Tray

        i travel 90 miles to the city to work every day, I know people drive, maybe not as many miles, but a lot, and our lives are very important. So few kids come to school on snow days like this is it worth it to be open? Why does the Major decide and not the Chancellor? What does she have to say about teachers risking their lives to come to empty classrooms?

  • Barbara Ann

    Close the schools. Let the kids be safe at home. Why wait till 5 in the morning to make a decision?

  • Kirsten Vaccaro

    Mayor Bloomberg Should Close NYC School Tomorrow!

    They Said If Can Please Stay Off The Roads Tomorrow!

  • Donna

    mayor bloomberg….do you have a brain….do you hear what you say….we are in an emergency with the weather…stay off roads,,,,but lets keep the school open so our teachers, administration and students rislk there lives to get to school….where over 300 children will be absent…..if not more,..,,what sense does that make…….stay home in bed safe with your family

    Donna

    • Michelle

      We sent my daughter to school the last time there was a big storm that school should have been closed. 1/3 of her class was missing and all they did was play games and draw pictures in AP 1st grade. If you can keep your kids home, I think that it’s your call as the parent.

    • kitty

      I totally agree. One end said stay off the road, the other end said school will keep open meaning kids have to stay ON the road…. Conflict, conflict, conflict! What brain does he have?

  • Ellen

    Going off the subject here. Please don’t turn you heat down all that much at night. Frozen pipes and all that.

  • Godzilla

    It was smart to wait until after morning rush to suspend street cleaning. You had cars fighting for spots on the snow covered streets while kids were walking to school. Did they not know the snow was coming?

  • liz

    T o Reach Mayor Bloomberg —Dial —1-800- Dial a Joke!

  • Lourdes Rodriguez

    why wait until 5:00 am to close school, parents with small kids need enough time to find babysitter/care. Since you don’t have small kids you don’t give a damn!

  • melody

    someone please give mayor bloomberg a nice cup of yellow snow

  • ringo

    Anyone who slips and falls in the snow on a city sidewalk will be immediately arrested and charged with loitering!

    • exibanker

      LMAO

  • midi-man

    SAN man you think so I think he borrowed them form some one else. maybe Rudy’s ! He is the only mayor that had a set to get stuff done and look out for the working class people.

  • JOEY BD

    New Poll: SICK OF THE MAYOR?

    YES NO IS THIS A TRICK QUESTION?

  • sandbagged

    You can vote for all three options in the poll, so I did.

    SNOMG!

  • SAN MAN FROM QUEENS

    HORAYY!!!!
    HE FINALLY GREW A SET……

    • Dumbie

      Dum response

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