With winter weather starting to become the norm, walking outside to class or the union is becoming more difficult due to the slippery slush still lingering around from snow showers earlier this week. Although University Avenue and Langdon Street are usually cleared in a timely manner, it's the side streets that are still causing problems. Residents are responsible for shoveling their own sidewalks and driveways, but what about the smaller residential streets? Aren't those on the list with University and Langdon to be taken care of? If you don't live on a main street, then you already know the answer to that. Cars are getting stuck, slipping off onto the sidewalk, and even into each other, making for extremely dangerous situations.
In Madison, there is a city ordinance that requires snow to be removed by noon the day after a snowfall. As for residents, there is a city fine for not removing the snow from private properties. This month alone, the city has fined more than 70 people, according to Wisconsin's News 3 station. After enforcing such strict policies for sidewalks and driveways, it would seem plausible that the city would be just as forceful with their snow removers, however there's still snow and slush making for a slick covering on many streets.
Lingering snow is a huge inconvenience to walkers, making the walk difficult and sometimes impossible to do without slipping or even falling, but the issue stands more prominently with the safety of other vehicles. Last Thursday, the free 80-line bus for students ran into another car in the early evening, however no one was hurt, and there have been numerous reports of cars slipping off the road or crashing into concrete dividers. These are issues that should be taken care of quickly due to the disastrous situations that may arise, however it seems as though the rule of removing snow the next day has not been fully adhered to.
Madison is home to snow storms and accumulation every year, for this city snow is not a surprise. Knowing that this weather is common and the city doesn't shut down, city officials need to make accommodations in order to clear the streets, including side streets, to make it safe for drivers and pedestrians. Whether by putting more money into purchasing more snowplows, or hiring more workers to plow continuously during storms, something needs to be done. If the city is so adamant about fining residents about not removing snow from their properties, then it only makes sense for them to provide a good example. If snow isn't removed from streets in a timely manner, why shovel the sidewalks that lead to them at all. Who knows, if everyone follows the example set by the city, maybe we'll finally get to see a snow day sometime in the future.
Estie Kruglak ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in communication arts.