Summer Snows?

I recently wrote a story titled “Wheeling Over Sidewalk Problems”, which discussed the condition of Columbia’s sidewalks, and the problems they pose to citizens in wheelchairs. It was a pleasure to work on this piece, as the sources were all very helpful and the information was of high value.

In all actuality, this piece began by investigating the problems associated with removing snow from Columbia’s sidewalks (we thought a story about snow in June would grab attention), and slowly evolved into an entirely different story. 
Since the story’s focus changed so much, I thought some readers might be interested in the struggles citizens in wheelchairs face in regards to snow.

Evan Moser, a 21-year-old MU student and member of the wheelchair basketball team, said Columbia is constantly improving their ability to handle the snowfall it receives on its sidewalks each year. However, citizens in wheel chairs still face many problems that many pedestrians don’t notice.

“I especially noticed that when sidewalks had been “cleared”, the snow that had been moved was simply plowed to one end of the sidewalk and left in a pile,” Moser said. “For example, at one time after a heavy snow, I was rolling down the sidewalk on Rollins street between Virginia avenue and Hitt street, when I came to the intersection of Hitt street and Rollins. I could not cross Hitt street because the snow had been left in a two foot pile at the end of the sidewalk, so I had to push back to Virginia avenue and find an alternative route.” Moser also said the sand that is placed over icy sidewalks often collects in the wheels in “various nooks and crannies”, and causes the wheel chairs to track it wherever they go.

The Bicycle/ Pedestrian Commission’s report, which was mentioned in the original story, also recommended that the city issue advertisements to inform citizens that they must clear their own sidewalks of snow and ice, as required under city ordinance section 24-12, which reads “All persons are hereby required to keep the sidewalks in front of, or adjacent to, the property or premises owned or occupied by them or under their control, within the city, clear and free from rubbish, filth, refuse, dirt, snow, ice and from any and all obstructions and dangerous agencies of every kind and description whatsoever; and any person failing to observe the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.

The commission’s report also discussed establishing priority sidewalks to clear of snow, and enforcing the ordinance through “complaint-driven enforcement combined with city initiated enforcement.”