Winter Walking and Cycling

[danbrotherston]

The city of Kitchener I believe estimated that it would cost $27 per household, per year, nowhere near $50/month.

And if they’re concerned about people whining about the cost, they can always offer an “opt-out” option. In practice, this would mean the City plow would lift its blade while it drives over the sidewalk in front of the opted-out property then put it back down on the other side, but the property owner could feel good about sticking it to the taxman. Of course bylaw should visit every opted-out property exactly 24 hours after snowfall ends and issue a ticket if it’s not at least as well cleared as the non-opted-out properties. I think very quickly the opt-out rate would shrink to negligibility.

There are several issues with this solution.

First, one of the big points of delivering city services is the QoS will be far FAR higher than the bylaw requires.  The city plows immediately upon snowfall.  Major roads are cleared continuously.  This is currently true for major trails.  By 24 hours after the end of major snowfall (36 if very heavy snow) all roads are done.  This is true, even if we get flurries the next morning, they don't stop plowing and wait another 24 hours....but bylaw does.

The second is simply that doing so would cause the cost to increase substantially.

Also, I think people would object to piles of snow being dumped ON their sidewalk, (not that the road plow doesn't do that already), and pushing the pile to the side only exasperates the cost issue.

And the third, is that people with no sidewalk would now be expected to pay or not?  Now property owners with sidewalks pay more?  Not a good policy, especially since those without sidewalks still benefit from plowing because they too can walk places.

The point is, the fee isn't a fee to get YOUR sidewalk cleared so you don't have to do it, it's a fee to get the sidewalks cleared in the city so that you can walk on them.  Even in terms of selling it to people, I see the second perspective as better anyway, it appeals to the "sense of community" that certainly city Councillors wrongly use to try and justify property owner clearing of sidewalks, and it's equal.  Otherwise, those who have no sidewalks, or shorter sidewalks want to know why they're being billed the same for less benefit.