BUFFALO, N.Y. — The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed so many things in our lives, but one thing even the virus can't change is the proliferation of potholes on Buffalo's streets in the springtime.
Their presence, unlike many things, simply will not be interrupted.
Nor will the city's effort to tackle them, although it will be with new pothole patching protocols.
While the procedure to patch a pothole remains the same, the city is trying to do this while maintaining the safety of crews through social distancing.
Whereas in prior years you would see two member crews, these days pothole patchers are going it alone… one person per truck.
So while the work is being done, it may be at a slightly slower speed than it might be in ordinary times.
Trash pickup hasn't been interrupted due to the virus outbreak either but, here again, sanitation workers are also maintaining social distancing. One stays in the truck, the others grab the garbage and the recyclables, and don't hop in the cab with the driver between stops.
Mayor Byron Brown, in also also maintaining a form of social distancing, took to the Department of Public Work's radio frequencies to broadcast a message to DPW workers and salute them for the job they are doing.
"Your work is keeping our community healthy and safe. We all know these conditions are anything but normal, and you have stepped up. If you haven't heard it, I wanna say it ... each and every one of you are heroes," the mayor said.