Walking in Waterloo Region

[ookpik]

I just had a thought. The viewpoint of the pedestrians is its their right to clear and safe passage.

That viewpoint is hardly unique. Car drivers feel the same way.

That got me thinking: The sidewalks are like roads - provided/built by the Municipality (not the home owner) as transportation to the public. So therefore, 100% it should be the responsibility of the local authority to clear it. I don't shovel the road in front of my house (usually!), so this is the same really.

This is hardly a new thought and certainly not on this forum. Many municipalities have been clearing sidewalks for decades. Studies show that the added cost to homeowners is in the $25 to $50 per property per year.

The problem is that
1. All-too-many non-pedestrians refuse to pay even such a small amount extra in property taxes. And why should they? After all the consequences to them of not clearing their sidewalks is—nothing.
2. Politicians are too spineless and gutless to take any action beyond lip-service on this issue.