From: JoAnn & David Haas <jdh_improv.offthebeat@comcast.net> Date: Monday, February 17, 2014 9:33 PM To: JoAnn & David Haas <jdh_improv.offthebeat@comcast.net> Subject: Snow & Ice Removal - Sidewalk Accessibility this Winter Dear Cambridge Community Member, Thank you for what you are doing to keep our sidewalks free of snow and ice given this particularly difficult winter. DPW is also doing its best with all the snow and we are grateful to them as well. Due to the amount of snow and ice we are dealing with some of their enhanced operations are taking longer to implement. Please note that they are working as hard as they can to meet all of their snow removal goals. As you all know, the snow this winter has been non-stop and more is on the way. The temperature has created ice on the sidewalks and even ice melt is not working. Some sidewalks are clear while others are packed solid with ice. What a difference it can make when one owner does not shovel a sidewalk before it all freezes over. Walking down the street suddenly becomes treacherous. Black ice is especially dangerous. What can we do now that another snow storm is on the way? One thing we can do is to remember to report any unshoveled sidewalk. Please see: http://www.cambridgema.gov/snow <http://www.cambridgema.gov/snow> . The direct link to the online reporting form is: http://www2.cambridgema.gov/theworks/services/snow/complaint.aspx <http://www2.cambridgema.gov/theworks/services/snow/complaint.aspx> . DPW does read your comments so if you find that there is no street number available to reporting a particular sidewalk, you can leave detailed information in the comments. Their phone is: 617-349-4903 and will be included in the DPW Snow Brochure this year. You can also report sidewalk obstructions (snow/ice/potholes) directly from your cell phones via Cambridge iReport: http://cambridgema.gov/iReport.aspx <http://cambridgema.gov/iReport.aspx> . We are also encouraging the business community to clear not only their sidewalks but the designated disability parking spaces on both the passenger side as well as the driver's side. This will not only provide full access for people with disabilities exiting and entering their vehicles but will increase the possibility of residents visiting these business locations. We are promoting "Adopt a Sidewalk" and "Adopt a Corner" again this year. The idea is that if one neighborhood community member adopts a particular sidewalk or corner, he or she will do his or her best to see that it is shoveled and cleared of snow and ice. This would, of course, involve neighbors joining in to make all the sidewalks accessible for everyone, in particular the elderly and people with disabilities. This is a great opportunity to find out who your neighbors are and to develop strong community bonds over time. At the same time, you would be keeping the sidewalk safe and accessible. Snow and ice removal from our city sidewalks is especially challenging this year given the weather conditions. However, later this week, it is predicted that it will warm up so this gives us all a great opportunity to clear out all the snow and ice from the sidewalks before the next storm arrives. The City and the US Post Office are sponsoring the Best Shoveled Contest again this year. Nominations are due to the Post Office on March 15, 2014 so there is still time to make your sidewalk a finalist in this competition. Please note that there is assistance through the City Snow Exemption Program for low-income elderly or disabled homeowners. To see if you are eligible to have the City to shovel your sidewalk under this program, please call the Cambridge Council on Aging at 617-349-6220 (voice) or 617-349-6050 (TTY). If you are not eligible, the Council on Aging will provide you with different available options that you can explore. As a CCPD representative, I cannot promote any particular company that removes snow. However, neighborhood associations might like to reach out to their own community members to see if they would like to set up a deal with a contractor that might assist with snow/ice removal in order to keep the neighborhood safe. Shoveling can be difficult for the elderly or people with disabilities. If you have not yet viewed CCPD's snow video, I encourage you all to watch it (and send it to all your friends) at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3EBUKS_RxI <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3EBUKS_RxI> . You may recognize some familiar faces in this very informative video. Also, please forward the link to this video to all members of your community to view, and ask them to pass it on to their friends and family members, as well. The snow ordinance must be enforced (see link to the ordinance: http://www.cambridgema.gov/theworks/ourservices/snow/snowordinance.aspx <http://www.cambridgema.gov/theworks/ourservices/snow/snowordinance.aspx> ) and our goal is to find positive ways to reinforce resident behavior to not only encourage snow and ice removal on city sidewalks but to reach out and educate residents so that they know the effect an unshoveled/icy sidewalk has on pedestrians. Thank you so much for all of your continued support in keeping our city sidewalks free of snow and ice. Please stay safe and take good care. JoAnn Haas, CCPD PS Our next CCPD meeting is on Thursday, February 20 at 5:30PM, 2nd Floor, 51 Inman Street For more details see: www.cambridgema.gov/ccpd.