Pittsburgh Getting Millions More To Buy New Snow Plow Vehicles

PITTSBURGH, PA — In the wake of last weekend's massive snowstorm in which 37 of the city's 95 public works trucks broke down, the city is receiving millions more to upgrade its aging and inefficient fleet.

A day after UPMC announced it was providing the city with $10 million that will enable the purchase of nearly three dozen public works vehicles, the PNC Foundation announced it will contribute a $2 million grant to the city to purchase new snow removal equipment.

“Last weekend’s storm was a powerful reminder of how essential it is for our city to be prepared for severe winter weather,” PNC CEO William S. Demchak said in a statement.

“Pittsburgh deserves strong, reliable snow removal capabilities that keep our neighborhoods safe and our economy moving. PNC is proud to support the city with this investment in equipment that will help keep Pittsburgh and its residents resilient and ready for future storms.”

After the city's worst snowstorm in nearly 16 years exposed the vulnerabilities of its public works fleet, Mayor Corey O'Connor expressed gratitude for the foundation's support.

“We’d like to thank the PNC Foundation for this generous donation that will help us purchase 15 vehicles this year for the Department of Public Works,” he said.

“Our DPW crews work hard and around the clock after snow events and, thanks to our local partnerships like this, will now have over 50 new pieces of reliable equipment. This kind of investment from PNC shows that we’re all in this together and invested in the safety of our crews and our communities.”