There are two models of thought when it comes to shoveling sidewalks. One is that, when left un-shoveled, the snow is considered an act of nature, and that a homeowner is not responsible for acts of nature. The other is that, once shoveled, it becomes the responsibility of the homeowner to keep the walks ice free. In essence, once human intervention is taken, it should be maintained.
I’m not sure which model the City subscribes to, as it relates to homeowner liability. I am sure that treks to the grocery store or post office become far more time consuming and certainly more dangerous when sidewalks remain covered in snow and ice.
Last night, after dinner at Mohawk, I walked past home to pick up a few items at the grocer. Few sidewalks had been cleared of the previous days snow. A days worth of foot traffic over the snow had created ridges of ice, making it difficult to navigate through both German and Merion Village.
Perhaps the lack of attention to sidewalks by homeowners is symptomatic of the City’s lack of attention to our streets. A behavioral model from the top down. While business routes should always receive attention first, the City of Columbus has a poor method of clearing residential streets, and both German and Merion Village residents suffer the consequences.
In Minneapolis, for example, the city restricts parking to one side of the street following the first snow fall. When plowing is required, within 48 hours after the snow stops, one side of every street is cleared to the curb. Once completed, residents must move their parked cars to the cleared side of the street, so that the remaining half of the street can be plowed. Seventy-two hours later, residential streets are cleared, all the way to the curb. When both sides of the street have been cleared to the curb, normal parking may resume.
When I suggested this model to the city as an example of efficiency, I was told that Columbus is too dense of a city for it to work. Too dense? In other words, not enough street parking to reduce it by 50% following a snow event. While such an example may require parking in a spot NOT immediately in front of one’s home, certainly there would be parking accommodations within reasonable reach.
Could it be that Columbus’ requirement of automobile ownership due to the lack of adequate and efficient public transportation is the reason our streets are lined with automobiles? Could it be that this automobile-dependent microcosm is, in fact, creating further inefficiencies for the the City’s public-works departments?
2 responses so far ↓
Sarah // 12 December, 2007 at 11:17 am
While I do agree that residents need to take care of their sidewalks and too often than not forget about this, I do not believe that this should be blamed on the city not plowing the side streets. The city will plow some of the side streets if “enough” snow has fallen. I’m not sure what the magic amount is, but I know I’ve seen streets in German Village plowed when we have had large amounts of snow. Something that does make the plowing more difficult is the fact that numerous streets in German Village and Merion Village are still wonderful brick and plowing them as clear as blacktop is not really a possibility. If the city attempted to plow these brick streets when there was only a small amount of snow they would either damage the roads or not get the snow off. Personally I’m content with my brick street being covered with snow that will eventually melt instead of having a cleared blacktop road in fount of my house.
I believe that the sidewalks are a completely different issue. After living in German Village for two years (now in Merion Village) I am of the opinion that a large amount people never take care of their sidewalk area – this is just more obvious in the winter. Strolling around German Village is something that most people in the area enjoy and is one of the ‘big’ tourist activities but how many times have you had to duck or swerve so that a tree branch did not hit you in the face? I have not noticed this as much in Merion Village – here you mostly have to watch out for the shrub that is taking up part of the sidewalk. I don’t know if these people just never walk anywhere so they don’t even give it a thought or they just don’t feel like taking care of their property. The snow and ice does expose a “special” group of people though… I have seen more that one house that instead of actually clearing their walk they clear a small path from their door directly to their car… nothing more than what they need. This personally aggravates me more than the people who do nothing.
Unless the city starts enforcing sidewalk maintenance this is a problem that I believe will persist and is a completely separate issue from the roads getting plowed.
Kit Hodge // 19 December, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Shoveling is extremely contentious. It makes it pretty clear who is thinking about being a neighbor, and who just lives on the block.
The non-profit I work for, Neighbors Project, has actually developed “Thank you for shoveling” cards (thankyouforshoveling.org) for this express purpose. You can order them for free through that site. The idea is to create a positive incentive for your neighbors to shovel.
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