Here's a wild idea: how about the municipality takes responsibility for keeping the sidewalks that it installs — and maintains in the summer months! — for the sake of the people who travel on them instead of guilting the townsfolk into helping people so they don't get fined?
Did some back-of-the-napkin maths and it might require a town budget increase of 3-4% to have them cover the cost of keeping sidewalks usable. I'd be fine with that.
Maybe I should write to the mayor and ask if they've considered it.
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@levisan REquiring people shovel their own pavements in front of their home, or else be fined, is the standard in the USA. This isnt something new, its how its been for a while.
@freemo I find it rather odd. At least for a place where it snows 50 days out of the year and 120cm per year. If sidewalks are important enough to have bumps smoothed and other maintenance done every summer, why do we just ignore them in the winter?
Every year I see people in wheelchairs (we have a decent elderly contingent) on the street because that gets cleared the day after it snows. The 3 day requirement to shovel sidewalks and the $100 fine if you don’t isn’t enough to motivate people to keep up with it!
@levisan We dont just ignore them in winter. The sidewalks tend to be cleaned, by the owners of the home the sidewalk is in front of (as is the law)... I mean it sounds like around you people dont shovel, I have never witnessed that en masse. Here after a snowfall all of the sidewalks tend to be cleaned the very next day by the owners. If you dont you will get a nasty fine and can even have a lawsuite if someone slips and falls.
@levisan I am guessing either here in philly people just shovel right away and are nice. Or perhaps we dont get that 3day window, not sure. Either way its not much of a problem here.
@freemo that makes me wonder if quicker deadlines and harsher penalties would make a difference. Anyway, I’m writing to the mayor to find out how much they really care
Why does the town put sidewalks in residential areas? Presumably so residents are more comfortable going places without a car.
Why does the town shave off bits of sidewalk that have buckled, making the path smooth yet again? Presumably to make it easier to walk when unstable or using wheeled assist-devices.
Why does the town not clear sidewalks? Well, you see, residents can shovel their own snow and we threaten to fine them if they don't.
What about those people for whom we keep sidewalks smooth and safe? Well that's too bad.
Why doesn't the town clear all sidewalks? That would increase property taxes, and taxpayers wouldn't like that. Oh okay so it's my fault.