City not keeping sidewalks clear, safe

LETTERS

According to the City of Lethbridge website: “To ensure everyone is safe during icy and snowy winter conditions, the City of Lethbridge asks home owners to clear any snow, ice or other debris which has been deposited on the sidewalk next to their property within 24 hours.You may receive a notice requiring that your sidewalks be cleared. Failure to comply may result in a first offence penalty of $50, a second offence of $100 and a third offence of $150.”

I took a walk around Garry Station this afternoon and I’m happy to report that all the sidewalks I used that were adjacent to homes had been dutifully cleared, making them safe to walk on. The walking path and city sidewalks bordering the man-made lake (which the City of Lethbridge is responsible for maintaining) were quite a different story. They had not been cleared, resulting in ankle- to knee-deep snow and treacherous icy patches.

When I got to the corner of the busy street coming into Garry Station, I saw that the City had plowed snow up and off the street and dumped it all onto the sidewalk, creating a huge snowbank that residents have to climb up and over, then jump down into the busy street to use the crosswalk provided to cross the street, making it anything but safe. 30 Street West from Garry Drive to Walsh Drive is like a skating rink, where more than one vehicle has careened into the steep adjacent ditch. It’s icy and it’s snowy. From what I can see, Garry Station residents are doing all we can to “clear ice and snow,” making sidewalks safe in our area. The City of Lethbridge has a long way to go to make “your roads and sidewalks” clear and safe.

Note: I will be taking another walk tomorrow, to check your work and see if the City of Lethbridge is being held to the same 24-hour service standard you have imposed on us. I hope other city residents will follow suit, reporting unsafe city-maintained sidewalks in your communities.

Melody De Groot

Lethbridge