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Mary Mangan submitting comments re: the snow removal ordinance.
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Official Text
To the Honorable Board:
On February 25, 2015, we attended the public hearing on the city’s new snow removal policies and penalties held by the Alderfolk of the city of Somerville. We appreciated hearing from our neighbors, and although all residents were invited to speak, we chose to listen and think about the issues. We provide this letter in lieu of testimony and thank the Alderfolk for keeping the meeting open beyond the hearing date to permit subsequent discussion.
We were impressed by our neighbors who came to speak about their experiences. Many were exasperated trying to keep their properties and streets in tolerable condition, keep their senior relatives healthy and safe, and get to work, while enabling others to get to their jobs in the face of an onslaught of snow. It was clear they are being defeated, partly by natural forces, and partly by existing regulations. They feel they aren’t being helped by the current snow removal and parking systems.
We were touched by the folks who got up early, before work, to clear their walks only to be thwarted by a plow driver just doing his job. We completely understand the call by pedestrian commuters who need walks cleared at the earliest possible timeframe. Yet we also accept there are people, like healthcare workers, who work 12-hour shifts or others whose commutes are extended by forces beyond their control, who can’t meet short snow removal timelines.
Everyone was right. Some times are too long and sometimes are too short. People who pay to shovel out spots, only to lose them during a quick trip to a pharmacy to pick up a prescription, are just as trapped as the carless. And residents with impaired mobility are even more trapped by the unnavigable alpine goat paths and non-existent curb cuts. Home health aides who can’t park near their patients complicate this situation even more, endangering our most fragile neighbors.
One neighbor made an excellent point, that we have more cars, yet less parking, than adjacent cities. We can’t compare ourselves to other communities with big driveways and lower density. Another neighbor raised the point of pride that Somerville residents walk, bike, and take public transportation to work in very high numbers. This is good for our health and our environment and should be applauded and encouraged. But if these things are so, and this data is not in dispute, then we need to re-think this issue from the ground up (so to speak).
During a talk a number of years ago, a founder of Zipcar noted that half of our citizens do not drive, some because of youth or old age, some because of medical issues, and some by choice. However, it seems to us that we spend disproportionate public money on winter street maintenance for car owners, and far too little on pedestrians.
We want parents to be able to walk their kids to school and not worry about how they will navigate strollers. We want people to use our local grocers and know they can wheel a foodcart back to their homes. If we are compelled by ADA regulations to provide access for all, we can’t rely only on property owners to ensure compliance. Some will never feel responsible for clearing walks because they live elsewhere and only collect rent checks from the property.
Some residents will never feel compelled to do more than the minimum. Some can’t shovel, due to physical impairments from old age or temporary injuries. Some may be away due to unanticipated travel. And even those who rely on hired help cannot guarantee the appearance of these folks during an inordinately active weather period.
It seems to us that we need to aim more public resources at pedestrian access in a broader and consistent manner. One of us has lived in a city where they routinely plow sidewalks (Rochester, NY: <http://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.aspx?id=8589936460>). Some nearby communities plow a number of priority pedestrian routes (<http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/dpw/highway/plow.asp)> Scandinavians and Canadians continue to walk and cycle year round in ways we can learn from. We recognize that our charmingly antique sidewalks are not ideal, but at least we have them. And there must be some young engineers at nearby schools who would relish the challenge of developing responsive sidewalk plow technology.
We often hear, and indeed it was noted at the start of the hearing, that Somerville values walkability and accessibility. This is a goal we support and value highly. However, if Somerville is to be truly walkable, it can’t be walkable only when the weather is warm and the ground is dry. Our goal must be to have a city that is walkable every day, all year long, no matter the weather conditions.
We cannot accept that our children are walking in the streets to get to school because of a poorly cleared or uncleared sidewalk. As we saw in nearby Quincy, this can have disastrous consequences. Meeting ADA regulations must be a priority for the benefit of all Somerville residents. It allows seniors to continue living in their homes and supports age and physical diversity, which benefits the community. We want people to easily access local restaurants and events. We implore the city to investigate at least some sidewalk plowing to assist homeowners.
Overall, it seemed to us that all of our neighbors want the same thing: an accessible city that is safe for kids, seniors, students, employees, and the mobility challenged. Intermittent fines and arbitrary time limits will not solve this in timely ways. Please investigate public pedestrian plowing of at least some priority routes to schools and transit stops.
Sincere regards,
Mary E. Mangan
William H. Dearing