Illustration by Tabi Walters
With the recent snowfall and cold weather, it should come as no surprise that A2 Fix It, Ann Arbor’s online system for reporting community issues—from potholes to broken streetlights to missed trash
collections—has been inundated with complaints about ice-clad sidewalks. What is surprising is that some of these uncleared sidewalks are maintained by the city.
If it snows more than one inch, property owners and occupants are required by the city’s snow removal ordinance to clear adjacent sidewalks within twenty-four hours. They are also required to treat any accumulations of ice within eighteen hours with sand or salt.
“City-maintained sidewalks,” according to the city’s website, “will be serviced by a city contractor during events with total snow accumulation depths greater than 1 inch and/or areas receiving freezing rain.” No deadline is mentioned.
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Affected city-maintained areas included North Main Park, Sculpture Plaza, and Liberty Plaza. Some of the complaints suggest the areas were left untreated long after recent snow events had ended. A December 16 ticket states that “the sidewalks at Hollywood Park and Kelly Park have been ice covered and hazardous since the snow on November 30.” Broadway Bridge, a busy pedestrian route that provides access to the train station, is described as “impassable” in two separate complaints on December 12 and 15.
“It’s better than it was last week,” a daily user of the bridge told us when we inspected it on the evening of December 16. “But it’s still bad, and I slipped over just yesterday.”
“We hold ourselves to the same high standards we apply to everybody else,” city spokesperson Robert Kellar says. “That’s not to say we don’t make mistakes or miss things. Everything is based on priorities, which means there are limits to how much we can do at any one time. We prioritize school routes, for example. With so many competing interests and only limited resources, things can get very complicated very quickly.”
“We also recognize that property owners have a responsibility to take care of their sidewalks,” he adds. “We encourage people to help their neighbors when they can.”
For anyone struggling, the Ann Arbor Police Department operates a Snow Match Program that pairs eligible residents with volunteers. The city is also offering rebates through the end of January on snow shovels and electric snow blowers when residents trade in gas-powered equipment.
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