Are Pedestrians Second Class Citizens?

Here's an elderly Parma resident doing her duty and complying with ordinance 660.05. If someone like her can see to it, what is wrong with all the younger, able-bodied residents who won't? Why isn't the city enforcing our wise law that requires everyone to clear their sidewalks within 12 hours of a snow event?

I will admit, when it comes to pedestrian and walkability issues, I am completely biased. Being a strident advocate for walking, I believe having been struck by an auto while in a crosswalk and bouncing off of the windshield grants me that right. Walkability is a key word these days when the discussion centers on communities. When people are searching for a place to buy a home, walkability is a rating category in real estate listings, especially important to young professional couples - a group most sought after by cities. Our community is no exception. Parma has over 30,000 homes with a busy and vibrant real estate market as a result. Walkability should be relevant all year long, not just in the good weather. Suppose I were a prospective home buyer in Parma during the winter months and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood, perhaps to have a look at the school my Realtor told me was only a few blocks away? One look at the two foot snowdrifts covering the sidewalks in my possibly new neighborhood would not only discourage me from venturing any further; I would most likely get in my car and go to another city, where better walking conditions exist.

One such city may very well be Parma Heights where they have always had the wisdom to employ a vehicle which clears the sidewalks in the entire city. As an avid year-round walker, I can't tell you how splendid that is. I easily give Parma Heights an A when it comes to winter walkability issues. What grade does Parma get? How about an F? This was not always the case. When I was growing up in Parma, for the most part, sidewalks were always cleared of snow and walkable. In fact, Parma has an ordinance, 660.05 Duty To Keep Sidewalks In Repair And Clean, which states "No owner or occupant of lots or lands abutting any sidewalk, curb or gutter shall fail to keep the sidewalks, curbs and gutters in repair and free from snow, ice or any nuisance." This has been a law in Parma since before I was born, and was followed religiously, as I remember. What happened?

There was a court decision years ago involving an insurance company in a personal injury case where it was decided that the insurance company was not responsible for covering the injuries in question that had occured on an icy sidewalk. The Court made it clear that this did not relieve citizens from obeying ordinances requiring them to clear their sidewalks in any given city. Apparently, public perception differed and I noticed that as the years went by, less and less people bothered to shovel the snow from the sidewalks in front of their property. More significantly, the City of Parma seemed to lose interest in enforcing the law requiring everyone, residents and businesses, from doing their duty within 12 hours of a snow event. The result has been the snowbound, dangerous, and impassible sidewalks of Parma that we pedestrians experience every winter. There are those who faithfully comply with the law and clear their walks, but so many don't that it has a tremendous impact on the ability to safely walk in most neighborhoods in Parma during the winter months. This causes people of all ages to engage in an even more dangerous activity - walking in the street. 

Honestly, I would shovel my sidewalk in front of my home whether there was a law or not. I view this as something we all should do as part of being good citizens. The city has a program for seniors and disabled people where they will clear their walks for them. How about the rest of the thousands of property owners in Parma? I have included a photo of an elderly woman that I noticed was shoveling her sidewalk after one of our tremendous snowfalls recently - she must be at least 80 years old. (I would have assisted her, but you will notice that she had completed the task). If an elderly woman like this can comply with the law then what is wrong with every other able-bodied person? What good is a law if not enforced? What kind of message does that send to residents and future residents? Are pedestrians second class citizens?

Daniel P. McCarthy

I am the publisher of the Parma Observer. Lifetime resident of Parma for over 50 years.

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Volume 6, Issue 3, Posted 12:39 PM, 03.05.2014