Snow removal merits more effort
Manhattan: While snow removal might seem like a needling quality-of-life issue that we mutter about under our breath but about which nothing can be done, it’s more of an intersectional equity issue than we give it credit for. City sidewalks present pedestrian hazards in the best weather: scooters or bikes on sidewalks, dog waste, overturned trash bins and now dining arrangements make use of any available space.
However, the failures of pedestrian infrastructure are displayed at their extreme when the snow starts to fall.
Seniors with lower incomes and fewer resources for personal assistance had to brave the streets to meet their basic needs during an emergency. For many days after the roads were cleared, delivery bikers were forced to forego still snowed-over bike lanes. For days, they weaved into busy traffic because major bike turnarounds like the Queensboro Bridge “porkchop” were left obstructed by piles of snow.
Department of Transportation representatives were recently unclear as to whether it was their department or the Department of Sanitation who should be clearing the medians along the avenues. Dozens of miles of pedestrian medians were planned, poured and installed, yet no department has standardized snow removal.
During this pandemic, a trip to the hospital for a slip-and-fall could be deadly for a senior. Without universal health care, a trip to the hospital for a delivery rider or working-class commuter could be devastating or simply bankrupting.
Snow removal is an intersectional equity issue and one we shouldn’t be contending with in a city aimed toward the future.
Patrick Bobilin, Lindsey Cormack and Zaki Molvi, organizers
Upper East Side Mutual Aid Network