Tag Archives: sidewalks

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Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands

Photo courtesy of
‘Shoveling out The Blizzard’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’

If you’ve got some extra time this week, grab a shovel and head outside– area governments need help in clearing snow from bus stops and sidewalks.  The folks over at Greater Greater Washington organized shovel brigades over the weekend to clear the way for people who walk or take transit (since snow plows often push snow into sidewalks while they’re clearing the roads).  The District is encouraging neighborhoods to organize shoveling teams, especially on routes used by school children, and in Alexandria neighborhoods banded together to clear the way to schools.

While DDOT continues to focus on clearing the roads, it looks like it’s up to us residents to clear sidewalks, bus stops, and bike lanes for everyone else.  And don’t forget to dig out fire hydrants!

The Daily Feed
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Worried about ice? You should be!

Watch Your Step - by Mr. Ducke (Creative Commons)

Watch Your Step - Mr. Ducke (Creative Commons)

As I walked to the metro this morning, I realized that I saw a lot of sidewalks in my area that still had the awful combination of snow and ice all over them.  The first thing I thought is “why haven’t they shoveled”?  But I felt better when I realized that Arlington would quickly come down on those who didn’t shovel…

… I shouldn’t have been that hasty.  It turns out that Arlington, like many other counties and cities in the area, don’t require homeowners or businesses to shovel their sidewalks.  So although the streets are clear, the pedestrians are out of luck.

I don’t know about you – but I think that’s just ridiculous.  This isn’t a rural community with no sidewalks.  Plenty of people in the DC metro area have been convinced to give up commuting by car and walk to a bus stop, metro station, or to work.  So why don’t they require business and homeowners to clear their own sidewalks?

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