( CNN ) -- With snow in the forecast almost daily , municipalities in much of the country have been sprinkling roads and sidewalks with salt for safety . But this brutal winter has left some cities struggling to get stockpiles of salt to hard-hit areas , authorities said . Others have turned to alternatives such as cheese brine to keep roads safe -- despite the lingering odor . New York Gov . Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that the long , snowy winter had left New York City and Long Island with salt shortages , prompting the state Department of Transportation to move 3,500 tons of road salt to those areas from state stockpiles , according to a statement . The state is also mixing sand with salt to stretch resources , according to a Cuomo spokesman . While salt is essential to making the roads safer , New Yorkers should take news of shortages with a grain of , well , salt because alternatives are used throughout the country . Sometimes the alternatives are cheaper than traditional salt . In Polk County , Wisconsin , for instance , cheese brine from factories is used for snow and ice control , according to Michael Sproul , program manager at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation . `` Cheese brine is not an alternative to salt , it 's just a cheaper version , '' he said , adding that it 's mixed with salt to conserve supplies . `` In Wisconsin , it 's a waste product . For us , it can be used on the roads . Someone can give it to us . We ask them to filter and deliver it and we use it ... We 're doing them a favor . It 's just another material that we can use with salt to treat the snow and ice that 's supposed to be close to free . The brine is effective because it works at a lower temperature than normal salt , according to Emil Norby , technical support manager at the Polk County Highway Department . In Bergen County , New Jersey , officials in the past have used a mixture of salt and water that resembles pickle juice and costs significantly less than salt , former county Public Works Director Joe Crifasi told CNN affiliate WCBS in 2011 , which was also an exceptionally snowy winter . Other alternatives to salt have included liquid from byproducts , including beer waste and beet juice , according to a study by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies , a New York state-based environmental group . Some communities are dealing with high costs for both salt and overtime for plow drivers . In Oak Park , Illinois , salt is three times the normal price because of high demand this winter , and overtime for plow workers is adding up . CNN 's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report .
Brutal ##ity has left some cities struggling to get stockpiles of salt for roads and sidewalks . Facing it , New York City and Long Island to get salt from the sea . Around the nation , they have used everything from a pickle juice - like mix to cheese brine .