Pittsburgh Salt Truck Shortage Sparks Winter Weather Concerns

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Pittsburgh Public Works Director Chris Hornstein addressed the city’s ongoing challenges with its salt trucks amidst complaints about snow removal over the recent weekend. Hornstein revealed that nearly one-third of the city’s salt trucks are currently out of service, raising concerns about the city’s preparedness for inclement weather.

“I think it was a really challenging event; all weekend long we’ve been out,” Hornstein stated during a news briefing. He attributed the difficulties to the unpredictable mix of snow and rain that hit the area.

Currently, the city has 104 salt trucks, with approximately 36 being unavailable due to maintenance issues. “We are always challenged with people and trucks. I’ll just be frank, a third of our fleet is kind of unavailable due to maintenance reasons,” Hornstein explained.

Despite having 68 trucks operational, only 50 were deployed on Sunday night. The reasons for not utilizing the remaining trucks remain unclear. The city’s snow response faced significant public scrutiny, with residents expressing frustration on social media over untreated roads.

Channel 11’s news crew reported an accident involving a car and a bus in East Liberty and received numerous images from viewers showcasing snow-covered streets across neighborhoods, including Squirrel Hill, Homewood, and Westwood. A winter weather advisory was in effect from Sunday afternoon until Monday morning.

Hornstein acknowledged that the storm exceeded weather predictions. “Quite honestly, the storm event yesterday was out and about, and it certainly became more than what was predicted,” he said.

As the city braces for possible snow showers later this week, the critical question remains: When will the trucks be fully operational? “That’s a great question,” Hornstein responded. “I know nine were in the shop, which means they are getting actively worked on to be released to us. We are just waiting on updates on those. All the other ones we are awaiting parts and dealing with the regular challenges that come with vehicle maintenance.”

Hornstein reassured citizens that the city has sufficient salt supplies to manage upcoming winter weather.

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