11-09-2018, 02:17 PM
If the city is going to go with the tattletaling system I really wish they would just add a faster/simpler way to report (e.g. via the PingStreet app).
According the Kitchener’s open data there are about 1173km of sidewalk in Kitchener.
577km of that has sidewalks on both sides and could potentially be inspected simultaneously (although it seems it would be difficult to examine sidewalks on both sides of the road at the same time AND drive) – note that sidewalks don’t always extend the same length on both sides.
113km of that has sidewalks on one side of the road only.
That’s 690km of sidewalk to inspect
Even without stopping to note non-compliant addresses or write warnings or tickets, and travelling at 30kph, which still seems too fast to allow for proper inspection of both sides of the street simultaneously while driving, it would take a single by-law officer 23hrs to inspect the entire city or 4 by-law officers entire 8 hour shift; and more than enough time for the snow to have accumulated again and reset clock.
Talk about a waste of time and fuel.
If they are going to pay someone to drive around and look for uncleared sidewalks why not put them in a sidewalk plow and actually clear the sidewalks.
Travelling at 10kph it would take 5 sidewalk plows just under 24 hours to drive the 1173 km of sidewalk.
Do the new provincial minimum maintenance standards exceed Kitchener’s current by-law in any respect? For example, I wonder if the City’s constant resetting of the clock when it starts to snow again would be in contravention of 16.3.1a since under the legislation one accumulation has ended and the sidewalk needs to be cleared to <=8cm within 48 hours.
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/020239
Snow accumulation on sidewalks
16.3 (1) Subject to section 16.4, the standard for addressing snow accumulation on a sidewalk after the snow accumulation has ended is,
a) to reduce the snow to a depth less than or equal to 8 centimetres within 48 hours; and
b) to provide a minimum sidewalk width of 1 metre. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
(2) If the depth of snow accumulation on a sidewalk is less than or equal to 8 centimetres, the sidewalk is deemed to be in a state of repair in respect of snow accumulation. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
(3) If the depth of snow accumulation on a sidewalk exceeds 8 centimetres while the snow continues to accumulate, the sidewalk is deemed to be in a state of repair with respect to snow accumulation, until 48 hours after the snow accumulation ends. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
(4) For the purposes of this section, the depth of snow accumulation on a sidewalk may be determined in the same manner as set out in subsection 4 (4) and by the persons mentioned in subsection 4 (3) with necessary modifications. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
According the Kitchener’s open data there are about 1173km of sidewalk in Kitchener.
577km of that has sidewalks on both sides and could potentially be inspected simultaneously (although it seems it would be difficult to examine sidewalks on both sides of the road at the same time AND drive) – note that sidewalks don’t always extend the same length on both sides.
113km of that has sidewalks on one side of the road only.
That’s 690km of sidewalk to inspect
Even without stopping to note non-compliant addresses or write warnings or tickets, and travelling at 30kph, which still seems too fast to allow for proper inspection of both sides of the street simultaneously while driving, it would take a single by-law officer 23hrs to inspect the entire city or 4 by-law officers entire 8 hour shift; and more than enough time for the snow to have accumulated again and reset clock.
Talk about a waste of time and fuel.
If they are going to pay someone to drive around and look for uncleared sidewalks why not put them in a sidewalk plow and actually clear the sidewalks.
Travelling at 10kph it would take 5 sidewalk plows just under 24 hours to drive the 1173 km of sidewalk.
Do the new provincial minimum maintenance standards exceed Kitchener’s current by-law in any respect? For example, I wonder if the City’s constant resetting of the clock when it starts to snow again would be in contravention of 16.3.1a since under the legislation one accumulation has ended and the sidewalk needs to be cleared to <=8cm within 48 hours.
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/020239
Snow accumulation on sidewalks
16.3 (1) Subject to section 16.4, the standard for addressing snow accumulation on a sidewalk after the snow accumulation has ended is,
a) to reduce the snow to a depth less than or equal to 8 centimetres within 48 hours; and
b) to provide a minimum sidewalk width of 1 metre. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
(2) If the depth of snow accumulation on a sidewalk is less than or equal to 8 centimetres, the sidewalk is deemed to be in a state of repair in respect of snow accumulation. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
(3) If the depth of snow accumulation on a sidewalk exceeds 8 centimetres while the snow continues to accumulate, the sidewalk is deemed to be in a state of repair with respect to snow accumulation, until 48 hours after the snow accumulation ends. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
(4) For the purposes of this section, the depth of snow accumulation on a sidewalk may be determined in the same manner as set out in subsection 4 (4) and by the persons mentioned in subsection 4 (3) with necessary modifications. O. Reg. 366/18, s. 15.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.