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Walking in Waterloo Region
(12-12-2016, 02:10 PM)KevinL Wrote: It's funny how we get the 'everything works fine in the current system' rhetoric right at the end of autumn, and then get hat proven so very wrong on our first major snowfall...

It doesn't feel "proven wrong", so much as it feels like "an incredibly timely reminder of the terrible status quo that is apparently just fine"
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(12-12-2016, 02:41 PM)Markster Wrote:
(12-12-2016, 02:10 PM)KevinL Wrote: It's funny how we get the 'everything works fine in the current system' rhetoric right at the end of autumn, and then get hat proven so very wrong on our first major snowfall...

It doesn't feel "proven wrong", so much as it feels like "an incredibly timely reminder of the terrible status quo that is apparently just fine"

Well depends on your definition of "working fine" lol.
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The system for getting sidewalks cleared of snow actually does work perfectly fine a good eight or nine months out of the year. It's only in wintertime that it doesn't seem to work.
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(12-12-2016, 02:01 PM)Markster Wrote: Pingstreet has never been able to report snowy sidewalks, and that is still the case.

Oh, haha. I was of the impression that's what people were encouraging others to use - to go around immediately after a snowfall and blast as many reports in as they could to try and push the city for sidewalk ploughing.
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(12-12-2016, 11:31 PM)Canard Wrote:
(12-12-2016, 02:01 PM)Markster Wrote: Pingstreet has never been able to report snowy sidewalks, and that is still the case.

Oh, haha.  I was of the impression that's what people were encouraging others to use - to go around immediately after a snowfall and blast as many reports in as they could to try and push the city for sidewalk ploughing.

I'm sure that's exactly why that feature hasn't been enabled. If you make it easy people might just do it and then you have to take action.

But nothing's stopping you from taking a photo of that pothole or graffiti that's clearly just hidden under all that snow and reporting that location.  Angel
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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(12-12-2016, 02:29 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: City staff have told me explicitly, they don't enforce the bylaw until 36 hours after the last snow.  So actually you're looking at Wednesday before bylaw will even consider complaints.  So long as there is no more snow before then.  If there is snow every 36 hours, then timer resets........

I called this morning and was told that, yes, they now consider more than 24 hours to have elapsed since Sunday night’s snowfall and that properties that receive complaints will be given notices reminding them of the requirement, and telling them when the snow will cleared by the City at their expense. The person I talked to didn’t know how long that would be.
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(12-13-2016, 10:02 AM)MidTowner Wrote:
(12-12-2016, 02:29 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: City staff have told me explicitly, they don't enforce the bylaw until 36 hours after the last snow.  So actually you're looking at Wednesday before bylaw will even consider complaints.  So long as there is no more snow before then.  If there is snow every 36 hours, then timer resets........

I called this morning and was told that, yes, they now consider more than 24 hours to have elapsed since Sunday night’s snowfall and that properties that receive complaints will be given notices reminding them of the requirement, and telling them when the snow will cleared by the City at their expense. The person I talked to didn’t know how long that would be.

Well, that's some progress at least.
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Who's responsible for clearing snow on the LRT tracks? Since the first snowfall, any pedestrian crossing of King St that passes over LRT line (i.e., every intersection between Uptown Waterloo and Victoria St) has been uncleared.
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Lots of discussions on twitter about this; I get the distinct impression, though, that none of it has been really sorted out.
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Yet that appears to be exactly what has happened, as is being discussed on twitter/local media is reporting.
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It's vaguely interesting that the sidewalks in front of the Charles St. Transit Terminal haven't been shoveled, while nearly every private residence and business nearby is perfectly clear.
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Sidewalks in great shape on Queen:

   

Only 3 totally non-shoveled properties on Victoria, between King and say the Conestoga Parkway.
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I'm not sure I'd use the word "great" to describe those sidewalks.  They're not uncleared.  But I don't think better than the city would achieve with plowing.  And several are not shovelled wide enough (which wouldn't be a problem with plowing) to allow a wheelchair or other mobility device to pass safely (or frankly, allow two people to walk side by side).  An able person like myself has no problems, but someone who is less able is probably having a pretty difficult time.  But frankly, they're probably better than average, which just goes to show what a problem the average is.

Also, not pictured is the inevitable wall of snow occurring at every crosswalk courtesy of the road plowing which is a complete barrier to anyone with a stroller, or walker, or wheelchair.  But something that an able bodied person such as myself, might step over and refer to as "just fine".

As for Victoria, I can say from experience that the other side of King is substantially worse.
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Are you unable to look at the positive in anything. Our neighbourhood sidewalks are cleared promptly by it's residents of varying age groups long before snowplows appear. We assist each other clearing sidewalks and end of driveways. Today I went out to shovel the end of my driveway and two neighbours with snow blowers came over to help. You say you want the city to plow our sidewalks because it is their property and therefore their responsibility. Should they also plow out the end of my driveway when it gets plowed in because that is also city property? The vast majority of property owners are responsible and clear their sidewalks promptly. Yes I agree that there are some that are irresponsible but try looking at the greater city as a whole.
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(12-17-2016, 05:39 PM)creative Wrote: Are you unable to look at the positive in anything. Our neighbourhood sidewalks are cleared promptly by it's residents of varying age groups long before snowplows appear. We assist each other clearing sidewalks and end of driveways. Today I went out to shovel the end of my driveway and two neighbours with snow blowers came over to help. You say you want the city to plow our sidewalks because it is their property and therefore their responsibility. Should they also plow out the end of my driveway when it gets plowed in because that is also city property? The vast majority of property owners are responsible and clear their sidewalks promptly. Yes I agree that there are some that are irresponsible but try looking at the greater city as a whole.

That is absolutely not why I argue the city should clear sidewalks.  It has nothing to do with responsibility for property, I don't even see it as "their property".  Sidewalks are public property, we all own them, and we're all responsible for them.  I see walking as a right.  And the city, OUR government, is responsible to us for ensuring we can exercise those rights.  We tried the 'maintain your own sidewalk' policy, and it doesn't work.  Your neighbourhood might be clear but plenty are not.  Main roads, through streets, are not.  Therefore, we, the people, are responsible for implementing a new policy that actually does work, we do so through our government.

The vast majority of property owners are responsible and clear sidewalks.  The city as a whole doesn't matter, what matters is can someone walk somewhere, it doesn't matter if I walk past 10, clear properties, a 100, even a 1000, if the 11th, or the 101st, or the 1001st is uncleared and prevents me from finishing my journey.  Think of the disabled people who are literally trapped inside their homes all winter because they cannot reliable walk down the sidewalk.

The city as a whole is no better than the weakest link.

I'm happy to look at the positive, however, I am unwilling to ignore the problems we have just to feel good that people can walk past my house, or my neighbourhood.  Positivity is one thing, ignoring our problems is another.  I'm simply responding to the argument that everything is fine and dandy on our sidewalks.  It is not.

You should assist *all* your neighbours, your fellow Kitchenerites, by advocating for a snow removal policy which ACTUALLY ensures that *all* citizens of our city can safely use our sidewalks in the winter.
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