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FYI--if you're in Minneapolis, here's how you get an unshovelled sidewalk taken care of by the city: property owners have 24 hours to shovel. If they don't, you can call 311 to report the owner & sidewalk. Then an NOV is processed--and that can take up to 3 business days. 1/
Then the inspector visits the property to verify the complaint, and then issues a work order. Then a contractor completes the work within 72 hours. (This is all according to this study: http://www2.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@publicworks/documents/webcontent/wcmsp-210946.pdf)
The property owner then has to pay the cost of the clearing; if they don't within 90 days.
YOU GUYS! This is such an effective way of making sure that the city is fulfilling the goal of 'Ensure effective snow and ice clearing for pedestrians' from the Pedestrian Master Plan. Why would we even try something else? It totally works!! Just call 311 & wait 6-8 days. DUH.
I mean, shit--if there's a lot of people down to shovel other people's walks, why not coordinate that program with the neighborhood orgs? Start small. Try something new. The current program of reporting & fines doesn't really work.
And honestly, if we're gonna be reimagining public safety, or however you want to describe it, walkable sidewalks--safe sidewalks--should actually be part of that convo too. What if we had teams of Sidewalk Ambassadors? Year round, responsible for maintaining sidewalks?
This shovelling convo feels like a repeat of every abundance v scarcity, individuality v community argument we always have. Feels like there's a lot more room for growth here.
