Snow Mountain Curbcuts in Newton: DPW Curbcut Newton Trashed

Residential Sidewalk Snow Shoveling Ordinance Passed!

Newton passed a residential sidewalk snow clearing ordinance! It is a two year trial. Home-owners/residents are requested to clear their abutting public sidewalks and curbcuts free of snow during the winter. Businesses are allowed 24 hours after the snow ends, residents are allowed 30 hours to clear. Lets all continue to work with Newton departments to stop the practice of dumping snow mountains on the curbcuts and crosswalks. Everyone, lets work together so Newton has safe and accessible sidewalks all year long.

New Construction is Unacceptable!

It has rained for over 24 hours. Above photos were taken on February 24th. They show the snow mountains from city plows still blocking the public sidewalk on Wachusett Rd and Hammond Street at intersection of Commonwealth Avenue.This snow has been sitting here since the December storm. The most disturbing elements in these photos are construction flaws of these sidewalks paid for by our public funds from Mass Highway Dept and overseen by the City of Newton Traffic and Engineering Department. Notice the sidewalks end into utility poles and stop midblock on people's lawn. A wheelchair user is unable to use any of these sidewalks, and would have no other choice but to be wheeling along with the trucks and cars in the street. Newton, this is unacceptable!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

DPW Curbcut Newton Trashed

Today is a simply brilliant day in Newton, blue sky, sun shining, crisp winter air. Then I took a look at the curbcut in front of the Department of Public Works on Craft Street. Brilliant was not an adjective I would use. The curbcut was trashed! It appeared as if the DPW driver took not only snow, but street, and destroyed the wall. The snow was left to block the wheelchair ramp, along with large chunks of asphalt, cement wall and trash. How are pedestrians supposed to walk down this sidewalk on Craft Street? How is a wheelchair user to use the curbcut to get out of the street? Is the DPW setting a precedent here in Newton?