High-tech Snowplows and AI Help Cities Clean Up After Big Storms

Residents of Syracuse, New York and other cities see improved snow removal thanks to GPS tracking, dashcams, and AI-powered dispatching.

Published on Mar. 3, 2026

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Cities across the U.S. are integrating new technologies like video monitoring, GPS mapping, and artificial intelligence into their snow removal operations, helping improve public trust and efficiency. Syracuse, New York - America's snowiest city - has seen a 30% drop in resident complaints after partnering with Samsara to track plow locations in real-time. Other cities like New York, Fayetteville, and Edison are also using data and automation to better coordinate plows, reduce costs, and prove fault in accidents.

Why it matters

With U.S. cities and states spending billions on snow removal each year, the new technologies are helping improve the speed and equity of plowing, while also reducing environmental damage from over-salting and over-plowing. The upgrades are building public trust in municipal snow operations, which have historically faced complaints even when crews were working hard.

The details

Syracuse partnered with Samsara in 2021 to put live GPS tracking and dashcams on its fleet of snowplows, integrated with GIS mapping software. This allows officials to monitor plow locations and road conditions in real-time, and provide a public map that updates every 5 minutes. New York City developed its own BladeRunner tracking program to monitor its snow removal equipment, while Fayetteville, Arkansas launched a public-facing snow removal map for the first time this winter. Video footage from the plows has also helped cities like Edison, New Jersey and Iowa prove fault in accidents involving the vehicles.

  • Syracuse had already surpassed its typical average snowfall by late December 2025 due to a record 2-foot accumulation.
  • Syracuse partnered with Samsara in 2021 to integrate the new snow removal tracking technology.
  • Fayetteville, Arkansas launched its public-facing snow removal map for the first time this winter (2025-2026).

The players

Samsara

A San Francisco-based company that provides GPS tracking, dashcams, and AI-powered dispatching technology to help cities upgrade their snow removal operations.

BladeRunner

New York City's in-house snow removal tracking program that monitors the locations of its snow removal equipment.

Conor Muldoon

The chief innovation officer for the city of Syracuse, New York.

Joshua Goodman

The deputy commissioner at New York City's Department of Sanitation.

Ross Jackson Jr.

The fleet operations manager for the city of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

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What they’re saying

“People will look out their window and say, 'Hey, you guys are doing a terrible job,' and we can point to a public map and say, 'Here's all the breadcrumbs for when that plow was there.'”

— Conor Muldoon, Chief Innovation Officer, Syracuse

“Rather than having to sift through a list of vehicles, it can actually figure this out: 'We've got Trevor in vehicle 203, 15 minutes away.'”

— Kiren Sekar, Chief Product Officer, Samsara

“So what it does is allow equity. Every block gets the same treatment, with each plow assigned a specific route during a storm.”

— Joshua Goodman, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Sanitation

“This is the first year some roads have ever been treated or plowed, and that goes right back to being able to see where we need to go and if we've been there.”

— Ross Jackson Jr., Fleet Operations Manager, Fayetteville

What’s next

Samsara and other technology providers are continuing to expand their AI and data analytics capabilities to further improve snow removal coordination and efficiency for cities across the U.S.

The takeaway

By embracing new technologies like GPS tracking, dashcams, and AI-powered dispatching, cities are transforming their snow removal operations to become more responsive, equitable, and environmentally sustainable - building public trust and saving money in the process.