Mayor Walsh Asks People To Stay Off The Roads As Boston Prepares For Snow

BOSTON (CBS) - Get off the roads. That was the message from Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as he briefed residents on the impending snow Tuesday afternoon.

"Having a storm at 2 o'clock in the afternoon is complicated," Walsh said.

A primary concern is getting Boston Public School students home.

Because of transportation issues, Boston cannot release students early. "Unfortunately, in Boston, we don't have the opportunity to release early. We don't have early release time because of the scheduling and buses and things like that - transportation," said Walsh.

Instead, Walsh is asking employers to send workers home early to try to keep the streets clear, which would help the school buses.

Walsh said pre-treating the roads started early and another 400 pieces of equipment hit the road at 1 p.m.

"We are going to try to stay ahead of it."

And the City of Boston's Office of Emergency Management is warning people to be careful.

The city of Boston does have a guide to Winter in Boston posted online, which offers parking and other storm-related information.

In the meantime, speed limits on the Massachusetts Turnpike have been lowered to 40 miles per hour, and the HOV lane on I-93 South opened at 1 p.m. - two hours early.

Logan Airport is asking travelers to call their airlines to check flight statuses. FlightAware reports that more than 90 flights have been delayed and more than 200 flights - nearly 20 percent - have been canceled already.