(no subject)

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

Is it just me or are the sidewalks just outside of Davis Square in worse shape this winter than in years past? I walk along College Ave from Powderhouse to Davis Square each day and it seems fewer and fewer people are bothering to shovel or put down salt on their sidewalks.

Obviously, this morning was difficult, but a lot of people haven't shoveled since last week's storm. There's a good 4 inches of ice in front of so many houses. The sidewalks that had been shoveled were fairly bad this morning but the sidewalks that had never been shoveled were impassable.

If you live in the area and have shoveled your sidewalk, THANK YOU! Your neighbors who walk to public transportation thank you - you're a true asset to the community. If you haven't shoveled your sidewalk yet this winter, please do so. It's really dangerous for those of us who must take public transportation to get to work. I know we're all really busy and that shoveling really sucks, but think of your neighbors. Think about how bad you would feel if someone fell on your sidewalk and really hurt themselves.

Maybe people think I'm naive to expect people to shovel their sidewalks and maybe I am. Maybe people don't really care if someone slips and falls on their sidewalks and hurt themselves. And if you don't care, do keep in mind that if someone slips and fall on your sidewalk, you are liable for that and they can sue you. The City of Somerville can fine you for not clearing your sidewalk. I have no idea if they actually do this or not, but their website says there is a fine. Rather than paying the fine, just pay someone to shovel. Your neighbors will appreciate it.

Comments

[bigrock.livejournal.com]

I think the police are able to issue tickets to homeowners who haven't shoveled their public ways 48 hours after a storm.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

The type of snow and the timing of it might have contributed to the lack of shovelling... more what I'm thinking is that everyone walked over the unshoveled snow on their way home from work that day, turning it to ice. Person comes home to shovel, and can't break the ice, but shovels the slush left on top. You still have ice :(

[georgy.livejournal.com]

Man, the Davis area is 5759 times more considerate than Winter Hill... I nearly died this morning walking to the bus stop.

To those who shovel their walks, thank you! To those who don't... give it a shot, eh?

[cosinezero.livejournal.com]

Well, we shoveled what we could, but on much of the walk the ice was impenetratable. I was out there with a hoe trying to break it and it was just not having it. There's ice everywhere from the last storm, it was terrible. Thankfully, today's rain should take care of much of it.

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

I know Somerville ticketed last year and it really seemed to make a difference. And they've been doing a decent job keeping the path near Powderhouse Park clear so far, which I appreciate. The winter isn't even here yet and there's miles to go, so yeah, please do your best to clear your walk!

Ditto.

[kyroraz.livejournal.com]

It was just bizarre seeing patches of clean sidewalk to completely iced over patches all down Somerville Ave and Beacon. Feh. It was doubly bad this morning with the ice having a fresh layer of wet over it. I chose to occasionally risk the streets and interweaving between moments of traffic and trafficlessness.

Thanks for answering the question about tickets though. I hate the idea of turning in the neighbors, but ... it's bad.

[spatch]

That stretch on College Ave across from the library is a killer. Someone was good enough to shovel a foot-wide path through the ice at one point, but the rest of the sidewalk is still iced over.

To make matters worse I swear someone let their dog crap on the shoveled part, so today my travel options were walk on killer ice, or step in dog crap. IT'S A WINTER WONDERLAND

[lidiya6.livejournal.com]

nice post, I totally agree!

Especially after seeing an elderly lady walk at an incredibly slow pace a few days ago, it got me to thinkning how scary it must be if - for whatever reason - you aren't very steady on your feet.

The rain today actually made some patches of ice worse - it somehow smoothed it out to make it even more slippery.

[midorionna.livejournal.com]

as someone who generally walks 20 min or more to work, i also thank the shovellers. this morning it was nearly impossible to walk, but those little cleared patches made it much easier.

[ron_newman]

In past year, the city has often neglected to clear the sidewalk in front of the Day Street parking lot, forcing pedestrians into either the lot or the street. I used to call Jack Connolly every time this happened. Now it's going to be Rebekah's job to get these calls. Lucky her...

[rekling.livejournal.com]

I agree!

I know ice can be difficult to shovel, but a lot of people haven't even bothered to put down sand or salt. While those don't fix the problem, they make it a little safer.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Mostly for cosinezero: Up at Phillips Academy, here's something they do with paths that ice over (which, as several people pointed out, is sometimes inevitable) they would mix salt and sand togther. The result is that the salt burrows little holes into the ice, into which the sand sinks, creating some version of traction. Of course, it's still ice, but it does help if it's rough sandy ice. Sand on plain ice just slides around. Using enough salt to melt all the ice is bad for the grass, environment, the rubber on our shoes, and is wasteful. However, mixing the two can be quite a nice trick! Also, if it works well, it makes the ice much easier to break up with, say, a hoe.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I thought I was going to DIE on my walk to the T this morning. It's not often I get angry at the city, but after the 8th time my foot slipped and I had to windmill to stay upright, I found myself saying "This goddamn town!" to the I-hear-ya looks of fellow pedestrians.

I have melting crystals but I'm getting low. Must get more.

[squibbon.livejournal.com]

Here here!
(spoken as someone who has fallen twice and is nursing an injury)

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

OUr new landlords have not provided us with salt yet. Hmm. I'd better phone them.

[catalyst.livejournal.com]

     as someone who didn't grow up here, i don't really grok all the mores you people have about snow and ice and traffic circles. but to my mind, you have to not be paying attention to hurt yourself on the ice, and while that happens, it *is* winter, and there *is* ice everywhere, and most of it isn't somebody else's fault, so there's really no excuse for zoning out even in a perfect world where everyone shoveled. it would *never* occur to me to sue somebody for my own inattention and/or clumsiness.

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

I figured there would be at least one person who turned this into something negative.

I do pay attention. I am not clumsy (no more than anyone else) and I slid all around this morning. I finally walked in the street. It's wonderful that you're so steady on your feet that you can walk on a solid sheet of ice. Good for you, but the rest of us are not so lucky to be so graceful.

And if I fall and split my head open because someone hasn't bothered to shovel their sidewalk in over a week, I would certainly sue. I would be out of work and I have to feed my family.

If the streets can be cleared so people can drive, the sidewalks can certainly be cleared so people can walk.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

If the streets can be cleared so people can drive, the sidewalks can certainly be cleared so people can walk.

That's not a fair comparison. The city doesn't shovel the sidewalks, and the residents don't plow the street in front of their house.

Perhaps everyone should pay more taxes, and have the city deal with the sidewalks as well?

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

I'll give you that it's not an equal comparsion. I've always thought the sidewalks should be the city's responsibility. It would be more consistent and someone would actually be accountable. I've always thought it was a cop-out that they shoved the responsibility off to residents. The residents don't own the sidewalks, so why should they be responsible for keeping them clean.

But having said that, it is the law that people shovel their sidewalks. It's up to the people to get the city to change the law. I've never lived anywhere where the city took responsibility for keeping the sidewalks clear of snow and ice. I'd be interested in hearing if any cities do take the responsibility.

I just hate that cities puts drivers ahead of pedestrians especially such dense urban areas where I would think more people walk versus drive.

[strangeanimal.livejournal.com]

Perhaps everyone should pay more taxes, and have the city deal with the sidewalks as well?

If Somerville and Somervillians are as forward-thinking and enlightened as people seem to think they are, then shouldn't people be doing what they can to help out their neighbors? We're asking for some shoveling and a bag of salt, simple as that.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

I must admit, I no longer live in Somerville... I've since moved out to Lincoln, and as it turns out, the town *does* plow the sidewalks here. I'd guess there's only 10 miles of sidwalks, but they're always clear.

Honestly, the whole sidewalk issue baffles me sometimes. I grew up in a small without them. And yes, I did walk 2 miles in the snow uphill both ways. Without sidewalks.

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

You and my dad must be from the same small town ;-).

I grew up in an incredibly small town as well. There were no sidewalks but it was also in NC so no real snow either.

I'm surprised Lincoln does the sidewalks. Do many people walk? Of course I think Lincoln's tax base is probably a little larger than Somerville's :-).

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

I walked from Powderhouse to Davis this afternoon (and then back this evening) and the number of people who did not shovel does not seem worse than last year, but the weather this past week has made it miserable in the places where people did not do anything.

For everyone complaining about the inability to break up the ice, I cannot suggest strongly enough to put down sand and salt. With the warm temperatures last night and today, a little bit of salt this week would mean that there would be no ice at all on your sidewalk, even without any shoveling at all.

Salt is also really cheap. I am not suggesting it as the only thing that a snow-remover needs to use, but its addition to shoveling goes a long way.

I think the problem with snow removal in Davis Square is due to the number of rental units. MA law says that landlords are responsible for snow removal (and cannot write it in the lease that tenants are instead), but a lot of landlords simply do not care.

On a side note, there is at least one church on College Ave. that did not shovel or salt their sidewalk.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

Heh, not likely. I'm from MA, just not eastern MA. But then, aren't all small towns the same?

A decent number of people in Lincoln walk... and jog... and bike. More for exercise, I think, than transportation, but primarily, I think it's for the scenery.

One of the quirks of Lincoln is how much of the town is conservation land, and as such has a vast network of walking trails and paths.

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

I know the exact church you're talking about. Their sidewalks actually make me really angry. That church often has people out front handing out coffee, lollipops, cider, etc. I want to know where those volunteers are when it comes time to shovel a little snow. It's sad because I've actually thought about attending that church, but if they won't shovel the walk for me to get there, I'm not going to go.

My husband and I shoveled last week and breaking up the ice was a snap since by the time it iced over, it was a fairly thin layer and thus easily broken up. But if you don't shovel at all when it snows, waiting for it to turn to ice isn't going to make it any easier.

I think you're absolutely right about the landlords.