Sidewalk snow removal & enforcement (Pittsburgh, Erie: how much, buying, gated)

[Q-tip motha]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I slipped and nearly fell today on Parkman Avenue in Schenley Farms because a lot of the a$$ hats who live there have plenty of money to pay "the help" to edge their lawns in the summer yet still haven't shoveled or salted their sidewalks. Those of you advocating for laziness can make as many excuses for these negligent homeowners as you'd like, but I can assure you the moment I get injured and lose a day's wages I'll be giving Edgar Snyder a call. I have a very stressful job with long days. Guess what? I spent 45 minutes when I arrived home from work on Wednesday shoveling and salting our sidewalk down to bare pavement. It's not that hard, unless, like I said earlier, you're an a$$ hat.

Having your elbow rebuilt after such a fall will cost about $90,000 so their homeowners insurance can figure to pay at least that much.

There are some people who geniunely can't shovel their walks, and I sympathize. When I lived in Polish Hill my neighbor and I dug both of our cars out, and then tackled an elderly neighbor's walk/vehicle as well. Here in Troy Hill I make it a point to get my older neighbor's walk and driveway after I clear mine just so she doesn't have to fool with it.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Of course the street hasn't been plowed yet either, not sure when that happens.

Channel 11 always interviews the city's DPW director, Rob Kaczorowski, around snow storms, and he said today that all city streets would be cleared of snow prior to snow from this next system beginning to fall. He has a couple of hours left before it's determined he's a liar.

[groar]

Originally Posted by Q-tip motha

Having your elbow rebuilt after such a fall will cost about $90,000 so their homeowners insurance can figure to pay at least that much.

There are some people who geniunely can't shovel their walks, and I sympathize. When I lived in Polish Hill my neighbor and I dug both of our cars out, and then tackled an elderly neighbor's walk/vehicle as well. Here in Troy Hill I make it a point to get my older neighbor's walk and driveway after I clear mine just so she doesn't have to fool with it.

yeah, people on my block do a great job of clearing the sidewalks of abandoned houses and vacant lots, and when there was an elderly woman living a couple of houses down someone always did her sidewalk as well. if we notice that someone is out of town, we shovel for them. SOMEHOW we manage to find the small amounts of time it takes to collectively do that when other people whine about taking care of one house's sidewalks. it's like an hour tops of work, and that's a very generous estimate. skip CSI for the night and do that instead. the only house that doesn't get cleared on our block is, yep, a rental property.

i can understand being away if it's your own house, but if you own rental properties, especially multi-unit ones, you need to make provisions for taking care of those sidewalks no matter what. like i said earlier, that is part of your job as a landlord.

also, i feel compelled to point out that PAT takes excellent care of their sidewalks! the busway stairs and walkways are always salted in advance and cleared super fast.

[FreightTrainRunning]

The city hasn't cleared any of the sidewalks around the Allegheny Commons/West Park.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[gg]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

Call whoever is supposed to maintain the roadway, assuming it is in location where sidewalk clearing laws apply.

I don't think those laws apply to PennDot. I figure that is who maintains the Highland Park Bridge. They just plow the snow on top of that sidewalk, so no one can walk on it. Typical.

[Pghuser]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Channel 11 always interviews the city's DPW director, Rob Kaczorowski, around snow storms, and he said today that all city streets would be cleared of snow prior to snow from this next system beginning to fall. He has a couple of hours left before it's determined he's a liar.

Dude is a liar, that's the thing. Just like when he states that Public Works isn't political by any means...

[Pghuser]

Let me add this to our discussion here. Great topic.

The City of Pittsburgh will not issue citations to anyone for failure to clean their sidewalks even though it's on the books. The Bureau of Building Inspection will merely send a "warning notice" to anyone they get a complaint about. That's as far as it goes. The Department of Public Works can issue citations on the spot to business owners who don't comply with this law. They rarely do this. The city's M.O. is that since they can't even shovel the walks in front of properties that they own why should they cite anyone else? Find me one person who has ever received a citation from the city and had it upheld in housing court and I will buy you a beer.

[Lost_In_Translation]

I will make one last comment. Those that sorta clear their sidewalks but don't put salt down are making it worse. Trudging through packed snow is not fun but when you get most of it off but a thin layer, it makes a nice ice slick. Get some salt! Otherwise you're making the problem worse!

[sparrowmint]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

I will make one last comment. Those that sorta clear their sidewalks but don't put salt down are making it worse. Trudging through packed snow is not fun but when you get most of it off but a thin layer, it makes a nice ice slick. Get some salt! Otherwise you're making the problem worse!

Agreed with this. I have a couple concussions in my history from falling during the winter (in Ottawa, not here). They were from falling backwards on my head while walking on shovelled sidewalks and plowed parking lots. I'd rather walk in snow.

[sealie]

Originally Posted by Pghuser

Let me add this to our discussion here. Great topic.

The City of Pittsburgh will not issue citations to anyone for failure to clean their sidewalks even though it's on the books. The Bureau of Building Inspection will merely send a "warning notice" to anyone they get a complaint about. That's as far as it goes. The Department of Public Works can issue citations on the spot to business owners who don't comply with this law. They rarely do this. The city's M.O. is that since they can't even shovel the walks in front of properties that they own why should they cite anyone else? Find me one person who has ever received a citation from the city and had it upheld in housing court and I will buy you a beer.

Thanks for mentioning that. I was wondering if it was one of those things like Pittsburgh speed limits that are really only theoretical ideas with no practical application, but this cleared that up.