BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is commissioning the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management to conduct a study on the city’s preparation and response for the holiday blizzard.

Forty-two people died in the region as a result of the disaster that left thousands of people without power in subzero wind chills. At a Buffalo Common Council meeting Tuesday, Department of Public Works Commissioner Nathan Marton said of the city’s 60 pieces of snow removal equipment, 22 were broken down at the time of the blizzard.

A city spokesperson said the city streets were impassable.

Sarah Kaufman, interim executive director of the Rudin Center, said soon they will send a team to Buffalo to talk to officials and residents to evaluate what can be done to improve preparation and response during disasters.

“What is helpful is that we are independent and we don’t have any political allegiances here,” said Kaufman. “We don’t have any bias or any commitment to say one particular party did everything right when they didn’t. So we’re going to take a very independent look at this.”

The findings will be published online for the public to view sometime in March. It will also help to inform other cities in disaster response.

This study will be done at no cost to the city. The Rudin Center will seek philanthropic support.