This week's light snowfall brought back to mind one of the pet peeves I have about how CA does snow removal on the sidewalks. Sidewalks that are on the back of homeowner's property is the homeowner's responsibility to shovel. Of course when the sidewalk is on the back of a homeowner's property, like the picture above, almost no homeowner shovels the sidewalk. They don't use the sidewalk behind their property so they don't see any reason to shovel the sidewalk.
I can understand CA not removing snow from the sidewalks on cul-de-sacs since that would cost extra money and time but I have never understood why on through streets when they remove the snow on non homeowner property why they don't just continue along the sidewalk and not remove this snow. Especially, as the picture below shows the plow has to leave the sidewalk and go into the road to get back to where they will plow again. This can be even more difficult for the plows when they have to break through the snow banks left by the highway snow plows. It would be safer for the CA plows to stay on the sidewalk.
It wouldn't cost any additional money or time to the plowing to just continue on the sidewalk. OK so some homeowners might get a break on shoveling their sidewalk but it would make more sense then the present policy. With this week's light snow walking through the unplowed parts isn't bad it is when we have a large snowfall. It may be a minor nuisance for people like me walking my dogs to have to go into the road but it is a real safety issue when you are talking about school children walking in the dark in the winter having to leave the sidewalk and walk in the road. I saw this happening on the sidewalk pictured above 2 years ago with our heavy snow falls. If for nothing more than the safety of children walking to school this policy doesn't have a benefit that I can see.
I have to disagree with your suggestion that CA should remove snow from sidewalks behind people's homes. CA currently removes snow from its paths and from sidewalks adjacent to land that it owns. The CA Open Space crews also do the snow removal from all CA facilities including community building parking lots, athletic facilities, etc. It is not CA's responsibility to shovel snow just because the homeowners fail to accept their responsibility under county law. This would significantly increase the workload of these employees who are out in the bitter cold maintaining the property that belongs to all Columbians.
ReplyDeleteA better idea would be to remind residents of their responsibility to the upkeep of the community.