01-04-2018, 03:16 PM
(01-04-2018, 02:36 PM)Ace Wrote:(01-04-2018, 12:11 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Worth reviving this thread now that we're into winter again. Aside from useful phone numbers, TriTAG has also released their sidewalk survey results.
http://www.tritag.ca/blog/2018/01/04/win...alk-study/
It will come to nobody's surprise that the results are not positive for mobility in the winter months, walking anything more than a trivial distance gives a very high probability of finding a blocked sidewalk.
I walk to work many days in the winter, and I doubt there is a day in the white part of winter, when there isn't a blocked sidewalk. I have a coworker who is in a wheelchair and he is unable to reliably get to work in the winter, and as far as I understand, doesn't even bother to try to wheel his way there as he does all spring summer and fall.
City of Waterloo staff have acknowledged to me that the policy for curb ramps is that nobody clears them, essentially meaning the official policy is that sidewalks are closed for the season in winter.
This is especially timely as this article just came out: https://www.therecord.com/news-story/803...-the-road/
Where a pedestrian is charged with walking on the road, and police remind us to use sidewalks.
Few people willingly choose to walk on the road, but how many times have I seen people in mobility scooters, elderly people, even people with walkers, in the terrifying position of walking down a lane on a busy road, getting honked at by motorists wizzing past.
CTV clip with video of the street/sidewalk:
https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1296593
"Use sidewalks and wear reflective clothing"...just a little extra victim blaming for good measure.
Sidewalks appear plowed, but pretty poorly. There was also a buggy of some type in the video, which would be a challenge to drag through the snow.
Yeah....*sigh*.