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Complaints about icy sidewalks pile up 2 days after snowstorm
Officials said they're fining property owners after multiple complaints of snow and ice on sidewalks throughout the city.
The rule for property owners is as follows: You must shovel your sidewalk three hours after snowfall ends, or three hours after sunrise if the snow event occurs at night.
But it appears not all residents of Boston have followed that rule, according to 311 reports.
Boston 311, a service that residents can use to report non-emergency issues, was flooded with complaints of snow that wasn’t shoveled from sidewalks two days after Tuesday’s nasty weather — and one day before more snow was expected to hit the region.
The complaints came from residents of just about every neighborhood, from the Seaport to Dorchester and Brighton. There were also reports from public areas. Some of them include:
- Frances Appleton Bridge in Beacon Hill, Jan. 17: There is significant ice buildup without visible sand or other mitigating (factors) on the Frances Appleton Bridge. I slipped and fell onto my left hip at the very top of the bridge (a part which is unsloped)
- Tremont Street in the South End, Jan. 17: The sidewalk is an ice slick. It was clearly not shoveled and untreated. I slipped on my way into work earlier.
- Glenmont Road in Brighton, Jan. 18: Sheet of ice on sidewalk needs to be salted. A small child fell hard on this trying to get to school this morning despite trying to walk carefully.
- Quint Avenue in Allston, Jan. 17: Sidewalk is entirely iced over with no attempt at removal. My partner fell and injured themself on this property due to the ice. The property is on a hill and extra precautions should be taken.
- Mozart Street in Jamaica Plain, Jan. 17: Sidewalk completely covered in ice … Clearly was not shoveled by owner and I almost fell several times — please enforce shoveling for owners and landlords, this is very dangerous.
WBZ reported that city officials were issuing fines, which can range from $50 for buildings with less than 16 units to $200 for commercial buildings. Each day an owner doesn’t address the snow is a separate fine, and owners will also be fined for shoveling snow into the street.
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It appeared that as of Thursday, there were cases being closed on Boston 311, with notes that said tickets or citations were issued — or that citations couldn’t be issued because snow or ice was removed by the time officials arrived to the address.
“Simply put, we’re looking for an accessible path of travel,” city officials said. “While the rule is three hours, we try to be reasonable for deciding when we start the clock. Our goal isn’t to fine you. We just want people — especially youth and seniors — to be able to get around safely.”
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Ice on sidewalks is obviously a major safety issue, and the current snow and ice on the ground has resulted in a slight uptick in hospital visits, reports The Boston Globe.
“There have been more patients than usual coming in for slipping on ice,” a Boston Medical Center spokesperson told the paper.
Friday’s snowfall is expected to be much lighter, with up to 2 inches in most communities. Meteorologists said this snow is expected to be drier and more fluffy, but slick roads could still impact commutes.
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