So, here we are - we've had our usual 'warning shot' snowstorm (and what a warning with tree damage and power outages); nearly all the leaves are down ("leaves are down and the sky is gray..." - sorry, that damn Pandora won't leave me alone); and we're just a few weeks away from walking in a winter wonderland (no, not the T stop) and that's what I want to talk about: walking.
Walking is a significant part of why I live in this city. I like to walk (especially when my walks are 'backed up' by a good public transportation system) and so I chose to live in a city to have sidewalks and useful places (stores, restaurants, bars, parks etc.) worth walking to. I would walk even if it were possible to be convicted for drunk driving in Massachusetts (and I'd like to thank the man who drunkenly staggered from Davis Sq. to Teele Sq., and ultimately into Theo's Pizza, on Sunday night for providing some great entertainment).
What's my point?
My point is this - the snow is coming and soon many of the sidewalks will be virtually impassable because many of my neighbors and fellow-Somervilliens do not (seem) to share my enthusiasm for walking. The signs are already visible with some sidewalks less-passable due to the leaves (check the sidewalk opposite Hodgkins-Curtin park, for instance - the leaves have been ground into tiny slippery leaf-nuggets by all the feet that have trod over them or notice the residents who seem to think that storing a new mondo recycling bin on the sidewalk ALL WEEK LONG is a good idea). Already I'm dreading the pedestrian-packed-ice-sheet that we can expect in front of the fire-ravaged block of Teele Sq. (many of the active Teele Sq. businesses fail to shovel properly - will we be surprised when the owner of a crater fails to clear the sidewalk?) and the extra time required to carefully pick one's way down Holland Ave. towards Davis Sq. through the slush-filled handicap ramps and the narrow paths created by other pedestrians.
What can be done about this?
Fines for sidewalk blocking fall under the Inspectional Services Dept. (ISD) which sounds reasonable until one considers that ISD personnel are traveling around in their cars and only issue a sidewalk-blockage ticket in response to a complaint. Meanwhile, we have a small army of Traffic & Parking personnel walking the very same sidewalks that are blocked as they do their daily rounds. Would it not make sense to put 'sidewalk enforcement' into the hands of the city personnel who are most often using those sidewalks?
Recently, Mayor Curtatone called on citizens to call 311Somerville whenever they hear the sound of aircraft. I'd like to call on other citizens to join me in calling on the city to write more sidewalk-blockage citations so that we can enjoy our city's walkability throughout the winter.
Who's with me?
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