Newton’s Board of Aldermen approved the purchase of two new sidewalk plows last night and, as Alderman Ted Hess-Mahan noted here and tweeted, they arrived today.
Look what just arrived! Bombardiers away! #NewtonMA #Sonwmaggedon #Mischiefmanaged pic.twitter.com/cEQf24Allx
— Ted Hess-Mahan (@tedhessmahan) February 12, 2015
Does Ted Hess-Mahan or anyone else have any insight into the sidewalks of Nahanton St.? It’s a pretty important thoroughfare, but since there are no paved sidewalks, there’s never anyplace that’s plowed for walking. It’s a pretty dangerous situation and I’m sure that either I or somebody else will get run over one of these days.
A good start, but is there more to the plan? Won’t we still have inadequate equipment on many of the other routes with insufficient manpower after a major storm?
It’s pretty sad that it’s not safe to take a walk around town because most sidewalks are unusable and you are likely to get run over.
Michael, I don’t know anything specifically about Nahanton Street. I am informed that DPW was clearing sidewalks in Newton Highlands today and that Newton has received help from the National Guard clearing fire hydrants and three teams with bobcats and loaders to start widening some of the streets. I would suggest reporting your concern using the 311 phone number or the city website.
The 311 system does not work well. On Jan 30 I reported a business that did not clear its sidewalk on Route 9, forcing people to walk in traffic. Finally on Feb 10 the city reported back by email that the request had been completed, but as of last night nothing was done. I have made a number of other requests and the response rate is around 50%. This kind of service makes it feel like a waste of effort to use the system.
Ted, thanks for the feedback. The city has actually never plowed Nahanton St. because there’s never been any paved sidewalk there. I’m sure that if it were paved, it would get plowed. Is there any process to petition for a paved sidewalk?
Imagine, a machine that can do the work of a thousand shovelers. When did they invent those things? The city should buy a few more and we’ll finally have clear sidewalks in Newton.
According to an email from Ald Vicki Danberg:
The City’s website showed on the Aldermanic docket expenditures for the DPW to be approved in the amount of $325,000.
A path could be plowed even if there are no concrete sidewalks. In my neighborhood 20% of the homeowners have grass or dirt paths for sidewalks. For some reason they believe they are exempt from clearing a walkway. I say that is no excuse to allow the snow to pile up.
As per the email contents from Alderman Vicki Danberg: “walking routes to transit locations”, our street – Court Street that is – is near to Newtonville Commuter Station. When will it get cleaned up?
So far, the track record of snow plows has been so horrible that there is enough snow in the middle of the street that leaves you wondering which amateur snow plow took in the green for that Street. At least have some oversight for folks who are claiming to do the plowing on Newton streets!
Colleen, my understanding of the city’s snow removal ordinance specifically exempts unpaved sidewalks. That is one of the issues I was raising with Ted H-M on another active V14 thread. This hole in the ordinance leaves it up to a subset of individual property owners to do the right thing to complete the walkability for the entire city sidewalk network.
The city should have an ordinance that includes the entire sidewalk network or not have an ordinance.
Do winters like this change anyone who is for the shoveling ordinance’s minds? Absolute madness expecting someone to shovel public property.
Kim, I am not in favor of the snow removal ordinance. That said, in the spirit of “it takes a village to raise a child”, I do believe it takes citizens voluntarily taking action to make a city better. If that action is helping with snow removal near your property, than so be it. Helping a neighbor in need and/or clearing a hydrant are also good deeds worth doing for the greater good.