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Different Sidewalk Conditions on the Same Day

March 1, 2013 Accessibility, Featured, Planning & Design, Walkability 3 Comments

When you use a wheelchair to get to the store to buy groceries and pick up prescriptions snow-covered sidewalks are a major barrier. Thankfully we don’t get much snow and most downtown property owners do a good job clearing the sidewalks.

ABOVE: By noon on February 23rd the sidewalk on Washington Ave east of Tucker had been cleared of the snow.
ABOVE: By noon on February 23rd the sidewalk on Washington Ave east of Tucker had been cleared of the snow.

But problems remain, such as parking lot owners pushing snow onto sidewalks.

ABOVE: 40 minutes later the sidewalk on 11th was quite different
ABOVE: 40 minutes later the sidewalk on 11th (between Pine & Olive) was quite different

The sidewalk above is the same one I posted about recently. I even went to the offices of St. Louis Parking to complain but clearly they don’t care about pedestrians or the law.

ABOVE: CPI routinely pushes snow from their parking lot onto the 16th Street sidewalk I use regularly
ABOVE: CPI routinely pushes snow from their parking lot onto the 16th Street sidewalk I use regularly, their parking lot is clear and bone dry.  Taken the same day as the rest of the pics in this post.

This is why we must require a physical barrier like a fence or planter between parking lots and sidewalks. It’s required now but existing lots aren’t required to get updates nor does the city prevent the owners from illegally using the public sidewalk for snow storage.

The other big issue I encounter is curb ramps.

ABOVE: Pedestrians wear a nice path in the snow but this doesn't necessarily correspond to the location of the curb ramp.
ABOVE: Pedestrians wear a nice path in the snow but this doesn’t necessarily correspond to the location of the curb ramp.

This situation is largely the result of a design flaw with how our curb ramps were designed  and installed. Rather than aligning with the standard pedestrian flow they’re at the apex of the corners, pointing toward the center of the intersections rather than the next sidewalk across the street.

I’ll just be very glad when we’re into Spring.

— Steve Patterson

 

 

Currently there are "3 comments" on this Article:

  1. JZ71 says:

    If the city actually enforced the existing laws, then they would have to keep their own sidewalks clear, as well, in places like on the new Grand viaduct and walkways in city parks . . . .

     
    • I’m pretty sure that sidewalks, despite being in the public way, are the purview of the owner of the property that fronts it. With that said, they can clean it off, but they can’t pile it on, as the lot above did.

       
  2. RyleyinSTL says:

    Some people just don’t care about pedestrians, like St. Louis Parking and a few people on my block, who never clear their sidewalk. It is frustrating, especially when you’re trying to walk somewhere and the inaction of the lazy and inconsiderate make that hard (or impossible). The example in the photos above is pretty bad. I think that clearing sidewalks properly doesn’t get on the radar in STL due to the infrequency of meaningful snowfall.

    What is the ordonnance on the books for snow clearance? In previous places I have lived (with considerably more winter weather) it was removal down to pavement 48hrs after last snowfall.

     

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