Worcester’s Department of Public Works (DPW) is entering the 2026‑27 winter season with a dramatically expanded workforce and equipment roster, aiming to avoid the frustrations residents experienced during last year’s heavy snowfall.
Expanded staffing and equipment
According to a report forwarded by City Manager Eric D. Batista on Oct. 13, the DPW now has almost three times as many mechanics as the previous season. The Operations Division hired seven new CDL‑licensed operators, four mechanics, six laborers, three temporary laborers, and a staff assistant. Offers to three additional operators and another mechanic are still pending.
DPW also expects seven six‑wheel dump trucks equipped with wing plows to arrive between November and February, plus a loader, a loader‑mounted snowblower, and four sidewalk machines—two of which can also plow roadways. Delivery schedules remain a challenge, but the added assets should improve response times.
More brine trucks and better pretreatment
Last winter the city relied on only three brine trucks. This season that number will rise to at least nine, allowing the department to handle pretreatment and deicing more effectively. The updated brine system, which went live in February, will now be fully utilized, and DPW is drafting new pretreatment routes to maximize coverage.
To stretch the salt supply, every city‑owned spreader will be calibrated this season, and the department will calibrate each spreader through a formal class offered by the UMass Transportation Center’s Baystate Roads program.
Training, technology, and coordination
DPW has launched an internal training program that teaches employees to operate loaders, backhoes, sweepers, plows, spreaders, sidewalk machines, and brine equipment. Two staff members attended the American Public Works Association’s North American Snow Conference in Cleveland, while two others competed in the association’s National Snow Roadeo in Colorado after winning the 2026 Massachusetts Driver Skills and Training Safety event.
The city is also purchasing routing software that provides real‑time equipment tracking, turn‑by‑turn directions for drivers, and a system for flagging road hazards. Commissioner John K. Westerling expects the technology to reduce missed streets and improve monitoring of contractor hours.
Policy adjustments and community outreach
DPW has ended the practice of skipping plows for storms that produce less than two inches of snow; crews will now plow whenever conditions warrant, rather than relying solely on salt.
Higher plow and spreader rates have been recommended to retain experienced contractors and attract new ones, acknowledging rising fuel and insurance costs. The department also plans a coordination meeting with the fire and police departments about 24 hours before an expected storm, aiming to finalize decisions and public notices at least six hours before snowfall begins.
Before the first storm, the city will launch a public education campaign on illegal street parking, with staff leaving warning notices on violators and enforcing year‑round parking rules more strictly.
Looking ahead
Commissioner Westerling noted concerns about regional salt shortages and a decline in large contractors, but assured residents that DPW will prioritize main routes and redeploy larger equipment as needed. “I believe DPW is better prepared today than we were this time last year,” he wrote.
With these staffing boosts, equipment upgrades, and procedural changes, Worcester aims to keep roads clear, protect motorists, and reduce the frustration that many residents felt during the previous winter’s 6½ feet of snow.
Original reporting: This Week in Worcester — read the source article.
