Why are sidewalks not cleared?

RE: SNOW REMOVAL

How is it acceptable that the city clears roads and bike lanes promptly, while leaving sidewalks to property owners (with poor bylaw enforcement, I must add)? Days after the last major precipitation, many sidewalks in my neighbourhood are still a mess while roads and bike lanes are pristine. That suggests pedestrians are second-class citizens, with several negative effects. For all of us, there’s the risk of slips and falls. If you’re less steady on your feet or rely on a scooter, walker, or stroller to get around it’s a significant barrier.

Uncleared sidewalks also make transit a less attractive option: even the best system isn’t appealing if it requires you to navigate sheer ice for your first or last hundred metres on foot. The city itself is not setting a good example. The section of Queen Street that passes over the rail line at Hunter is still covered in ice — right at a bus stop, no less. The section of Hunter Street just west of the GO station is likewise covered in snow and ice. The city’s vision “to be the best place to raise a child and age successfully” seems hopelessly out of reach if parents using strollers, citizens with mobility challenges, and the elderly find the streets impassable for several months of the year. Council should address this from both a health and safety perspective, and an equity perspective. It’s time to treat pedestrians with the same respect and care as we treat cyclists and drivers.

Jeffrey Cassidy, Hamilton