Snow emergency canceled for Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Philadelphia's snow emergency declaration is over. It was lifted at 1pm Tuesday.

That means parking is again allowed on snow emergency routes. The Philadelphia Parking Authority will resume enforcing parking violations at 4pm. The discounted parking rates at PPA Center City garages will continue until 4pm. Anyone entering the garage after 4pm will pay normal rates.

Also, the city's Emergency Operations Center deactivated at 1pm.

Streets Department crews continue salting and plowing. They started at midnight with 450 vehicles in operation. The first four hours of work involved salting. At 4am, when accumulations were sufficient, crews began plowing. Crews are expected to keep at it until well into Tuesday evening. 311 requests for salting and plowing will not be taken until Thursday.

Travelers are advised to continue to use caution, particularly heading into the afternoon rush hour, when refreezing of roadways is possible.

All trash and recycling collections will resume on Wednesday. Trash and recycling had been suspended Tuesday. People in neighborhoods that normally have collections on Tuesdays are asked to hold their trash until next week.

There will be no collections picked up in driveways for the remainder of the week. People are asked to place materials at curbside in the front of their homes all week.

The Streets Department will extend the hours of its six Sanitation Convenience Centers until 8pm all week to accommodate residents impacted by collection delays. Click here for locations.

The City is in Code Blue until temperatures rise and it is safe to be outside again. This winter the Office of Homeless Services has added 304 beds and 124 Cafe slots for Code Blue. People do not need ID to enter Code Blue shelters or cafes from the street, and they can remain indoors throughout the duration of the Code Blue. If you are concerned about someone who is homeless, call the Outreach Coordination Center at 215-232-1984 at any time. Outreach is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. First responders can also transport people to shelter for their own safety.

Residents are expected to shovel all walkways and clear a 36-inch path 6 hours after the conclusion of the storm. Failure to shovel walkways can result in a $50.00 code violation notice. Residents and private contractors are also prohibited from shoveling or plowing snow into the streets. This creates a safety hazard and makes it difficult for the city to plow effectively.

All inmate visits were canceled Tuesday for all jails in Philadelphia County.

The city had urged residents who have non-essential business with the city to delay their trips into Center City until later in the week if possible, to let Streets Department crews continue to treat roads.The Streets Department has announced that trash and recycling collection for Tuesday are canceled. Residents who have Tuesday pick-up are asked to hold their trash and recycling until next week. The Department will make a decision on Wednesday's trash collection tomorrow based on the status of the plowing operation.