[TAS]

Living and walking around in Ritchie now I am experiencing a problem that is common in many neighbourboods.

When an alley intersects a sidewalk, it is often some of the most challenging sections for pedestrians to cross and with a mobility issue, a real barrier.

On either side of the alley entrance is usually a cleared sidewalk, but no one is really responsible to clear the sidewalk that crosses the alley.

Here's an example from today that doesn't look bad anymore because of the heat we had, but it illustrates the troublesome area I'm talking about. These spaces can be really icy, heavily rutted or like a small lake depending on the weather.

 

[thommyjo]

Living and walking around in Ritchie now I am experiencing a problem that is common in many neighbourboods.

When an alley intersects a sidewalk, it is often some of the most challenging sections for pedestrians to cross and with a mobility issue, a real barrier.

On either side of the alley entrance is usually a cleared sidewalk, but no one is really responsible to clear the sidewalk that crosses the alley.

Here's an example from today that doesn't look bad anymore because of the heat we had, but it illustrates the troublesome area I'm talking about. These spaces can be really icy, heavily rutted or like a small lake depending on the weather.

View attachment 722840

100%

Good neighbours should shovel them still as part of corner lots. But many simply stop at them, the same way many treat corners…instead of shoveling through so crossings are clear, they literally pile the snow at the crossing.

The city would be a beauty to, on warm days in the winter, rip through with little bobcats to quickly clear entire neighborhoods in an hour.

 

[ntt1]

My 311 app has been getting a workout over these last few days as someone who walks/runs often in my neighbourhood. So many houses that have obviously not picked up a shovel all winter (as evidenced by their driveways) and I'm pretty over not being able to walk on the sidewalk safely.

 

[kcantor]

100%

Good neighbours should shovel them still as part of corner lots. But many simply stop at them, the same way many treat corners…instead of shoveling through so crossings are clear, they literally pile the snow at the crossing.

The city would be a beauty to, on warm days in the winter, rip through with little bobcats to quickly clear entire neighborhoods in an hour.

I wouldn’t be so quick to blame this on a “lack of good neighbours” on either/both sides. These stretches get filled with windows that the city doesn’t remove if they’re less than 18” and they’re quick to get driven on and compacted making than almost impossible to shovel even with an ice scraper. It also varies almost by individual operator as to how well the plows and graders clear and leave them and the attention they pay or don’t pay. Some will clear to the lane entrance on the far side of the sidewalk and others won’t do anything past the street curb line.

 

[an_edmontonian]

Its not feasible for homeowners to clear alleyways. That snow gets packed into shear ice by vehicle traffic.

 

[TAS]

I wouldn’t be so quick to blame this on a “lack of good neighbours” on either/both sides. These stretches get filled with windows that the city doesn’t remove if they’re less than 18” and they’re quick to get driven on and compacted making than almost impossible to shovel even with an ice scraper. It also varies almost by individual operator as to how well the plows and graders clear and leave them and the attention they pay or don’t pay. Some will clear to the lane entrance on the far side of the sidewalk and others won’t do anything past the street curb line.

On this point, as one example, 76Ave gets cleared of snow (the road is bone dry now), but the snow from the road gets shoved onto one-third of the sidewalk (which is allowed) in the form of a hard packed windrow that can melt and freeze on the sidewalk continuously and then a new snowfall happens and repeat.

There's nowhere for the snow to melt but on the sidewalk which freezes creating ongoing challenges to clear beyond just the snowfall. I'm not a fan of windrows pushed onto sidewalks.

 

[ntt1]

On this point, as one example, 76Ave gets cleared of snow (the road is bone dry now), but the snow from the road gets shoved onto one-third of the sidewalk (which is allowed) in the form of a hard packed windrow that can melt and freeze on the sidewalk continuously and then a new snowfall happens and repeat.

There's nowhere for the snow to melt but on the sidewalk which freezes creating ongoing challenges to clear beyond just the snowfall. I'm not a fan of windrows pushed onto sidewalks.

There are a few MUPs very close to a road that this happens to, as well.

This year has been bad for windrows blocking storm drains - there are lots of flooded residential roads/sidewalks that are pretty well impassable at this point.

 

[thommyjo]

I wouldn’t be so quick to blame this on a “lack of good neighbours” on either/both sides. These stretches get filled with windows that the city doesn’t remove if they’re less than 18” and they’re quick to get driven on and compacted making than almost impossible to shovel even with an ice scraper. It also varies almost by individual operator as to how well the plows and graders clear and leave them and the attention they pay or don’t pay. Some will clear to the lane entrance on the far side of the sidewalk and others won’t do anything past the street curb line.

It’s not feasible for homeowners to clear alleyways. That snow gets packed into shear ice by vehicle traffic.

Yes and no.

Of course they get packed more quickly. I’m not expecting them to be perfectly clear.

BUT, many literally do not shovel at all. So all the snowfall simply packs. And even on warm days, when it’s easy to clear, they don’t.

You can tell the difference between the smoother shovelled alley tracks and the abrupt, bigger, ridge alley tracks caused by poor shovelling.

I clear our alley crossing all winter. It’s very doable. Especially helps to shovel in the morning before you drive over and leave and have hundreds of others do the same. If you leave 2 days like many homeowners, of course it’s harder to clear.

 

[devobersver]

Living and walking around in Ritchie now I am experiencing a problem that is common in many neighbourboods.

When an alley intersects a sidewalk, it is often some of the most challenging sections for pedestrians to cross and with a mobility issue, a real barrier.

On either side of the alley entrance is usually a cleared sidewalk, but no one is really responsible to clear the sidewalk that crosses the alley.

Here's an example from today that doesn't look bad anymore because of the heat we had, but it illustrates the troublesome area I'm talking about. These spaces can be really icy, heavily rutted or like a small lake depending on the weather.

View attachment 722840

I feel like there should be a design associated solution here. Intersections in general are brutal and personally I believe they should be raised which I suspect would prevent pooling for pedestrians.

 

[mcr]

100%

Good neighbours should shovel them still as part of corner lots. But many simply stop at them, the same way many treat corners…instead of shoveling through so crossings are clear, they literally pile the snow at the crossing.

The city would be a beauty to, on warm days in the winter, rip through with little bobcats to quickly clear entire neighborhoods in an hour.

My neighbour is adjacent to an alley, and he diligently shovels or snow blows it every single snowfall, and it doesn't really help. All the cars driving in and out track snow and compact it down. Then in any melt, the dip fills with water and freezes. Plow goes through the alley, and scrapes snow back over the sidewalk. It's a battle that just doesn't seem to be able to be won, sadly.