Winter Walking and Cycling

[danbrotherston]

Well, looks like its the end of the fucking road for sidewalk clearing in KW.

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...lling.html

I'm so done with this fucking city.  One step forward, two steps back.  The study clearly showed that city cleared sidwalks were vastly more effective than proactive bylaw enforcement, but they've twisted the numbers on bylaw enforcement enough to try and justify it.  Fucking fuck...I'm so fucking done...

The headline conclusion (“Kitchener residents don’t want to pay for snow shovelling”) is not believable, if we correct for options that are actually officially on the table. By this I mean that officially the idea of not shovelling sidewalks is not on the table, even if that is what the chosen outcome effectively means in some areas.

The decision should be done by first identifying all properties which rigorously and fully shovel their walks all winter long. Then get only those properties to vote on whether they would like a tiny tax increase in order to be released from their obligation. The opinion of somebody who doesn’t currently shovel their walk isn’t relevant; the only difference for them would be the increased tax payment which of course nobody wants, separately from its associated benefit.

I also note that the high-quality pilot in Victoria park actually came out in favour. Why not do a bigger pilot based on that pilot? It seems more than questionable to base a city-wide decision on a survey of a hypothetical when those who have actually experienced the hypothetical come out strongly in favour. Or try the new way city-wide for a year; I predict going back would be a political 3rd rail.

Yup...these are all better options than the current staff recommendation, which is basically status quo with a little bit of saving face.