Safety concerns about bus routes lead city to keep Boston Public Schools closed on Tuesday

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

“Snow strike teams’’ composed of dump trucks and massive front-end loaders are being dispatched across Boston to remove towering mounds of snow that have sprouted across the city from the nor’easter that dumped more than 2 feet of snow.

But late today, the city decided that the Boston Public School system will remain closed on Tuesday because of safety concerns about bus routes.

Earlier today, Public Works Commissioner Joanne Massaro said that the city has completed plowing all 810 miles of streets in the city, but is prepared to return to specific locations when alerted to the need by residents.

“If there are any stray streets, we want to know about it,’’ Massaro said this afternoon as the city described how the snow strike teams would work, and also identified the locations set to receive the first wave of attention by the teams.

Still, the city decided that the Boston Public School system will remain closed on Tuesday because of safety concerns about bus routes.

Officials said the teams are being sent to Newbury Street in Back Bay, L Street in South Boston, and Washington Street near Egleston Square on the Roxbury/Jamaica Plain line, city officials said.

The snow will be trucked to empty lots that the city has designated as “snow farms.”

On Sunday, the city dumped 308 truckloads of snow into the snow farms located across the city.

“We had 25 inches of snow in 24 hours,’’ Massaro said. “We did what we could to keep up. We’ve all been working on no sleep for three or four days.’’

City officials also said that during the snow emergency, 450 illegally parked vehicles have been towed and that 3,400 tickets have been issued for parking violations.

The city has marked the snow piles meant for removal with orange paint, and some roads will be closed so snow can be removed.

The city also plans to use snow melters owned by the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Logan International Airport.

“The main focus now is widening our main arterials, side streets, and business districts,” said city spokeswoman, Dot Joyce. “Travel remains a challenge because of the narrow roadways.”