Rockland Writes: Spring Valley’s Snow Response Became a Safety Hazard

To the Editor:

I know Rockland Daily doesn’t usually publish letters like this, and I don’t usually write them. But this isn’t politics, it’s a serious public safety issue, and it needs to be said.

I’m writing after what I saw firsthand in Spring Valley following the storm. It wasn’t just inconvenient. It was dangerous.

Days after the snowfall, multiple streets were still in rough shape, with plowing either incomplete or barely done. I personally observed conditions on and around Union Road, Charles Lane, Yale Drive, Ridge Avenue, Westside Avenue, North Cole Avenue, Collins Avenue, West Funston Avenue, John Street, East Castle Avenue, and Fairview Avenue, among others. In too many areas, the roads were narrowed down to one lane, and the sidewalks were left in a state that pushed pedestrians into the street. People were forced to walk in the roadway, and that is a serious safety risk.

At this point, snow removal is just one of many issues that everyone can plainly see the village is failing to handle properly. That’s why the topic of dissolving the village keeps coming up again and again. Maybe it wouldn’t save a fortune immediately, but at least we would have a chance to receive the same basic services nearby communities get.

That comparison is hard to ignore. Neighboring areas, like Monsey/Ramapo, were able to clean their streets, while Spring Valley remained stuck with unsafe roadways days later. Even if Sunday and Monday were failures, it’s hard to understand why Tuesday morning still looked the way it did, especially after so many people were already sounding the alarm.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about public safety and basic municipal responsibility. When streets and sidewalks remain hazardous days after a storm, people can get hurt. Spring Valley deserves clear answers about what went wrong, and a real plan to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Sincerely,

A concerned Spring Valley resident, among many others.