Winter seems to be slowly slipping away. (Though temperatures will struggle to reach freezing today.)
There’s no snow in the forecast.
But even if we don’t see another flake this season, this is New England. In less than a year, we’ll shovel again.
Well, some Westporters won’t.
That’s the topic of Clarence Hayes’ “Opinion” piece today. The Representative Town Meeting member writes:
Westport is an outlier. Out of 169 municipalities in Connecticut, it is one of the very few (if not the only one) whose Public Works Department has the responsibility to clear residential sidewalks after a snowstorm.
In nearly every other community, this responsibility falls to the adjacent property owners. While Westport’s DPW does its best to keep up, it’s time to acknowledge that this system is unsustainable.
Cross Highway, after a snowfall.
Currently, our town has 26 miles of residential sidewalks. That number will grow, as new sidewalks are added.
The highway crew of 16 workers already puts in grueling 12- to 30-hour shifts clearing and salting roads during storms. After tackling streets, parking lots, and even hauling snow out of downtown, they are then expected to begin the long, labor-intensive task of clearing sidewalks.
Depending on the severity of the storm, it can take up to a week before all sidewalks are passable. If storms come back-to-back, sidewalk clearing may not happen at all.
By that time, snow has often hardened into “snowcrete” — a dense, icy layer that is far more difficult to remove than fresh snow, and creates even more hazardous conditions.
“Snowcrete” on Hillspoint Road, between Hillandale and Prospect Roads. (Photo/Clarence Hayes)
This means that even when sidewalks are cleared, they may still be icy, uneven or impassable in spots. And when storms come in quick succession, sidewalk clearing may have to be delayed or skipped altogether as crews focus on keeping roads safe.
Meanwhile, residents understandably want safe walkways immediately after a storm. Pedestrians, including schoolchildren and commuters, rely on these sidewalks to get around safely. But the reality is that the town simply cannot provide immediate service to sidewalks while prioritizing road safety.
The solution is simple and fair: Update our town ordinances to require property owners to clear sidewalks adjacent to their property, as is standard in most Connecticut towns.
Prior to storms, in addition to salting their driveway and front steps, homeowners would take a few more steps out and cover their sidewalk. This would dramatically ease the burden on our public works crews, while ensuring sidewalks are cleared faster for everyone.
There will, of course, be pushback from some who do not want to take on this responsibility. But Westport is a community that values walkability and safety. If we want our sidewalks to be clear and accessible after a storm, this ordinance change is a necessary step.
It’s time for Westport to adopt a sidewalk snow removal ordinance that aligns with the rest of the state. Doing so will improve safety, support our public works department, and ensure that our growing sidewalk network remains usable all winter long.
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