An advocate for Edmontonians with disabilities said current snow-clearing plans could effectively “trap” some people in their homes following major snowfalls.
Starting this winter, because of budget cuts, residents will wait longer than last season for roads, sidewalks, ramps and bus stops to be cleared of snow and ice.
Roads will take an extra one or two days, while city-owned sidewalks, ramps, staircases and some bus stops will take six days instead of four, according to the city.
What’s most worrying to Tonia Lariviere is that manually cleared bus stops and paths will take 22 days, up from a standard of 13 days in the prior winter season, the city said.
“These service reductions are a concern for this community,” said Lariviere, speaking on behalf of the city’s accessibility advisory committee (AAC) at a community and public services committee meeting Monday.
“We understand budget constraints, but safety and accessibility must be prioritized.”
Lariviere said people with limited mobility are disproportionately affected by snow and ice because they may have difficulty maneuvering or have mobility aids that get caught in or cannot be used in snow and ice.
“(They) face the risk of increased injuries in icy conditions,” said Lariviere.
Another accessibility issue Lariviere mentioned was windrows, which she said can trap people who use wheelchairs.
Lariviere said the timeline for clearing the pedestrian facilities is too long and that a four-day wait would be ideal but within a week is essential.
Some council members wondered if prioritized bike lanes and facilities, which are scheduled to be cleared in only one day, could be taken down the priority list, but city staff said getting to those lanes in one day is important so crews can get to bare pavement.
City staff said ending the community sandbox program could mean other paths get cleared up to three days faster.
Lariviere said another accessibility issue is around private sidewalks, and that there needs to be better communication so property and business owners understand what facilities are their responsibility to clear.
Ward Sspomitapi Coun. Jo-Anne Wright said she sits on the Accessibility Advisory Committee as a council advisor and has heard these concerns before.
“I would like to maybe focus some of our additional budget funding that we might have – for instance, with the sandbox – maybe diverting some of that funding over to the sidewalk clearing and multi-use path clearing,” said Wright.
Wright mentioned the OP12 process, where city staff have been directed to find $60 million in savings and $240 million in reallocations to what council considers core services.
“Our snow removal is one of our core services and maybe we can focus the funds in that direction,” she said.
She added it’s possible this winter will be light on snow and service could potentially not be as bad.
Ward tastawiyiniwak Coun. Karen Principe said she was surprised to see some pedestrian paths would take 22 days to clear while some only take one day.
“I think that that’s a little too long. I think we need to see a little bit less of a discrepancy,” she said.
Principe added she’s hopeful there are still some efficiencies to be found in the snow and ice department.
“We are a winter city. We have to realize that it won’t be perfect,” said Principe. “It’s hard to be perfect in this type of climate, but we should be able to do better.”
Committee members voted in favour of directing city staff to work with AAC on creating a communications plan.