So What Does Everyone Think of Tomorrow's Snow Storm? (Winchester: rental, gated)

[Flamingo13]

Just hoping it's not bad early Tues. - husband has a really important Dr. appt.

[johnsonkk]

This post is in keeping with the storms, impact, schools, etc.

Sidewalks, or lack of them right now. Walking a, couple miles today, it's clear that townhouses, greenspaces and even schools are not shoveling out their sidewalks. Seriously, kids are going to walk on the cleared streets during rush hour?

Every nearby house within a few blocks was shoveled so i thought everyone was on the same page. Hope the drivers are up to the challenge on Tuesday.

[airjay75]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

This post is in keeping with the storms, impact, schools, etc.

Sidewalks, or lack of them right now. Walking a, couple miles today, it's clear that townhouses, greenspaces and even schools are not shoveling out their sidewalks. Seriously, kids are going to walk on the cleared streets during rush hour?

Every nearby house within a few blocks was shoveled so i thought everyone was on the same page. Hope the drivers are up to the challenge on Tuesday.

Yeah, I've been out walking my dogs the past couple of days. For those people who got out and shoveled their sidewalks (which is the majority if people), it's great. For those that didn't, it can be a little tough going. And, now, with several cycles of thawing and refreezing, those sidewalks couldn't be shoveled even if someone wanted to, or at least not very easily.

Snowstorms like this make me question whether there should be a law about shoveling sidewalks. I realize some people are elderly or disabled and simply can't get out there to do it, but if you're able bodied, you really need to shovel your sidewalk.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by airjay75

Snowstorms like this make me question whether there should be a law about shoveling sidewalks. I realize some people are elderly or disabled and simply can't get out there to do it, but if you're able bodied, you really need to shovel your sidewalk.

There are laws; at least in most jurisdictions.

[johnsonkk]

Originally Posted by spencgr

There are laws; at least in most jurisdictions.

All seem to besides Fairfax and PWC.

Shoveling Sidewalk Laws & Freezing Pipe Advice | NBC4 Washington

This could be why three men died in.Howard county trying to shovel snow. Loudoun county gives residents.six hours or else... Why not 8, maybe.12. Good grief.

[smarterguy]

I can understand not shoveling on stretches of sidewalk where almost no one walks, but I've encountered quite a bit snow and ice on a lot of sidewalks in both VA and DC in some very busy areas.

And now that people have had a few days to walk on it and go through a few melt/freeze cycles, its turned in a nice layer of very slick ice.

Sigh... C'mon people...

[reebo]

And those homeowners who chose the corner lot--get out there and shovel all the sidewalk you're responsible for.

[ChristineVA]

Very glad we have no sidewalks in our neighborhood!!!

What really got me was the day after the storm I was heading home using a stretch of Dale Blvd that was not residential. This poor guy was walking down Dale Blvd toward the bus stop and had to walk in the road. The sidewalks were covered with regular snow, plus what the plows put there. It was very dangerous and people were flying past him at 45-50mph.

Who is responsible for that?

[Carlingtonian]

We purposely chose a house that has no sidewalk in front of it. At our previous house, our side of the street had one, but the other side didn't--so all the dogs pooped on our side, and we had to shovel after every storm.

What's crazy is that Arlington County--despite having a shoveling ordinance--doesn't shovel its own sidewalks! There are a couple of long stretches of County land near us where no one has shoveled at all. And these sidealks are used a lot.

[car54]

I don't understand these sidewalk shoveling laws. I don't have any at my place, but I own some houses that do. Without exception, my property lines are the house side of the sidewalk. I DO NOT own the sidewalk.

So how can the County/City require me to shovel something that THEY (or VDOT?) own? Maybe that's why they don't enforce these laws...they might not hold up?

I'm a good guy though (that LOVES machinery), and I have a humongous, high-powered snowblower, and when I did live somewhere with sidewalks, I used to do all the sidewalks on my entire block, and sometimes another block or two. I had to carry extra fuel so I'd have enough to get back home! LOL.