Neighbors in the 7200 block of Charles Street in the Mayfair section were busy digging out when Mayor Nutter arrived at about 11 a.m. today.
The mayor picked up a shovel and helped for about five minutes, a gaggle of neighborhood children working alongside him.
Nutter said it was too early to estimate how much storm cleanup might cost the city. His administration also could not say early yesterday how many streets had been cleared.
Streets commissioner Clarena Tolson said the city had about 450 vehicles plowing and salting yesterday and today.
The city’s 311 call center will remain open until 8 p.m. tonight for people with questions.
Nutter praised residents for doing a lot of the work themselves.
“I want to say thank you to all the citizens of Philadelphia – what an incredible job,” he said. “Most people are not putting the snow back in the street. We really appreciate that.”
Joey and Victoria Herrschaft, who live on Charles Street and watched the mayor’s visit, said they thought the city was starting to do a better job of clearing streets.
“The plows hit this street four times already by my count,” Joey Herrschaft said. On a drive from Mayfair south through Port Richmond and Bridesburg to South Philadelphia, major streets and many smaller ones were navigable, but bumpy. Some side streets, however, were untouched.
On Earp Street near 8th and Reed streets, 3-foot high drifts blocked much of the road. In the 700 block of Earp, neighbors had dug out about two-thirds of the street said, Angie Chan, a resident who was busy sweeping snow from her sidewalk yesterday.
“The city doesn’t do much on the small streets,” she said, “so we have to do it all ourselves.”
-By Miriam Hill
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
