06-19-2018, 09:17 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-19-2018, 09:18 AM by danbrotherston.)
(06-19-2018, 08:08 AM)creative Wrote: Snowfall scenario in our neighbourhood, just outside of the downtown core. Light snowfall, sidewalks shovelled by homeowners, usually the night before or the next morning before they go to work. Roads usually plowed before they come home from work. Moderate to heavy snowfall, sidewalks cleared in the morning or end of day when people return from work. Roads plowed in 2 or 3 days depending on amount of snowfall. If sidewalk clearing is coordinated with road plowing, our sidewalks would be impassible for 2 days or more. Personally my belief is that most sidewalks that are not cleared are rental properties. I don't like the idea of subsidizing these rental property owners.
I don't like that idea either, but right now they're being subsidized, but the only ones paying are those who can't just get in their car to avoid it, and are paying with their mobility or even the freedom to leave their home.
Plowing both roads AND sidewalks isn't about property owners not having to do it, or pay or whatever, it's about the freedom of those in the city. When we choose only to plow roads, we're choosing to exasperate the existing inequality in mobility.
It's also worth noting that if you actually look at the costs, and I mean, economic costs, you already pay far more to clear your sidewalk than the city tax increase would be. Having every property owner manage clearing individually is far less efficient than having a plow run by and clear the whole sidewalk. Now, most people value the incremental time to clear the sidewalk at 0 dollars, so they still feel they are paying more, but economically, that doesn't make sense.