Councillors pushing to improve snow clearing on well-travelled sidewalks

Some Winnipeg city councillors are pushing to improve snow clearing on sidewalks after the city saw record snowfall numbers this winter.

Jackie Roy, a West Broadway resident, said it is easier now, but during the harsh winter, she found it difficult to navigate the sidewalks using her walker.

“Sidewalks were not cleared, it would be trampled foot traffic, not wide enough for my walker,” said Roy.

Roy said they were so clogged up, that she was forced to walk on the street instead.

She said it was dangerous and scary.

“Sometimes you’re taking your life into God’s hands because you can’t rely on sidewalks.”

Councillors Cindy Gilroy and Sherri Rollins want some busy residential sidewalks given a higher priority for snow clearing.

“We had seniors calling us that really felt stuck,” said Gilroy. "We had people that couldn’t access the bus stop."

Right now the city clears sidewalks and streets on a priority basis with most residential ones at the bottom of the list. So Gilroy and Rollins have a motion for the city to speed up and improve service on residential sidewalks connected to high-frequency transit routes. Gilroy said the adjacent street wouldn’t be bumped up in line, just the sidewalk, to help pedestrians catch their bus, walk to the grocery store, and get to work.

“We have way better snow clearing on our streets than we do our sidewalks, so it’s not the same level, so I think we need to review the sidewalk clearing,” said Gilroy.

The city is in the process of reviewing its snow and ice clearing policy.

Some say this was an extreme winter, it may simply be mother nature’s fault not the city’s policy.

“It’s one of the worst winters I can remember,” said cyclist Jim Skinner

It’s unclear how much a change like this could cost.

As a taxpayer, Roy said she would be willing to pay more.

“Because there’s going to be people like me that are putting their lives at risk because we have to walk on the street,” she said.

The councillors' motion is also calling for city workers to do more of the sidewalk snow removal, instead of private contractors.