Hazardous Walking

This morning I walked down to church to meet with our priest-in-charge. It was still snowing, and walking was a little slippery. Even though we had more snow than expected, it really only coated the piles and piles we have from the previous storms. And it is the accumulations from those previous storms that make it hazardous to be a pedestrian in Norwalk and, I'm sure, in other communities throughout the Northeast.

But it isn't the snow itself that makes for hazardous walking. It's where the snow still sits. On sidewalks. The Department of Public Works issued a snow removal policy, which can be found here. The portion relating to sidewalks says:

Per City ordinance, Norwalk property owners are responsible for keeping all sidewalks along their property clear of snow and ice. The City clears only sidewalks that are not abutted by private property. Keeping in mind that snow plows will push street snow onto sidewalks, it is advisable to clear sidewalks after the plows have finished your street. Do not throw snow from sidewalks back into the street.

Many homeowners have not shoveled the sidewalks in front of their properties.  Here 5 Union Park, which is two building west of Grace Episcopal Church.

This is the walk in front of the building taken Sunday, more than four days after the previous snowstorm.  It looks pretty much the same today, except for the additional two inches of snow from this morning's precipitation.

This is Union Park itself, looking west up toward Van Buren Avenue, also taken Sunday.  This particular section of sidewalk is "not abutted by private property," which means the city is responsible for clearing it.  I don't see a clean sidewalk.

This is Maple Avenue near Berkeley looking west toward the hospital.  Again, walks the city should have cleared that still remain covered by snow and ice more than four days after the last storm.

Here is the bike path where it crosses Maple heading toward Union Park.  The bike path is cleared, but the sidewalks aren't?  I know some bicyclists ride in the winter, but not very many.

A lot of people walk throughout the winter.  Yet the sidewalks are not cleared everyplace.  So we have to walk in the streets where slippery conditions increase the possibility of being hit by a car, truck, or bus.  So why hasn't the city cleared the sidewalks for which it is responsible?  Or not enforced the ordinance requiring property owners to clear the sidewalks abutting their property?

It may be time to start publishing a Walk of Shame!