City Council members want to do more to make sure sidewalks are shoveled throughout city neighborhoods.

First, let’s address motivation. Council members are concerned about people walking in the street – and rightly so. But let’s not act as if cleared sidewalks will solve that particular problem. There are people who still walk in the street in areas where the city’s sidewalk plows have cleared sidewalks an hour after the plow has come through. Unless a sidewalk is cleared to bare pavement, bone dry and perfectly flat, the city will have people walking in the streets.

And, while we’re at it, let’s not try to use the reasoning that homeowners need to break their backs clearing sidewalks so people walking their dogs have a place to do so. Shoveling out a nice doggie toilet on a sub-zero temperature day isn’t going to make those who aren’t already shoveling their sidewalks suddenly change their minds.

The real concern is realistically children walking to and from school. We’ve long advocated for a change to the city’s sidewalk plow routes to actually reflect where children are walking. It is a waste of the city’s resources – and taxpayer dollars – to run sidewalk plows in areas where a child hasn’t been seen walking to school in more than a decade while other areas with more foot traffic remain untouched by the city’s sidewalk plows. One would think a survey of city residents would help pinpoint where sidewalk plows actually need to be deployed.

The other issue the council needs to deal with when it comes to sidewalk shoveling is how to deal with two issues that help create the mismash of cleared and uncleared sidewalks – Jamestown’s aging population and vacant houses. Able-bodied city residents should be clearing their sidewalks when it snows. But as Jamestown ages, the number of able-bodied city residents is dwindling. Some sidewalks are cleared by good samaritans who will clear an entire street because their neighbors are unable to do so. Not everyone has the time or equipment to do so.

Clearing sidewalks sounds like a no-brainer. After all, the city code is very clear on the matter. Property owners are responsible for the sidewalks in front of their homes. Those who don’t will surely do so with a little additional prodding from City Hall?. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Or is it?