Community Groups and Organizations Urge City Council to vote ‘Yes’ on the ‘Chicago Plow the Sidewalks Pilot Program’ Ordinance

To the Chicago City Council

121 N La Salle St

Chicago, Illinois 60602

July 18, 2023

Dear Members of the Chicago City Council,

We, the undersigned, support the ‘Chicago Plow The Sidewalks Pilot Program’ ordinance. The consistent and timely removal of snow and ice from sidewalks and pedestrian routes should be a routine municipal service, just like they are for the streets. Plowing snow from sidewalks ensures the city’s entire transportation system is accessible and reliable year-round for all users – no matter the weather. Accessible sidewalks are critical to a functioning transportation system and the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans, especially older residents, people with disabilities, families with children, and transit users. Sidewalk snow plowing is not a luxury – it is a necessity.

Depending on property owners, businesses, and private residents to shovel sidewalks is no longer an acceptable policy. The current policy results in haphazard clearance. It is difficult to enforce and this only occurs long after sidewalk conditions are reported – if they’re reported at all. Furthermore, the current policy asks residents to perform difficult and dangerous labor. People with disabilities and older adults who cannot or should not remove snow from their properties must pay for or rely on others for snow removal. If they can’t arrange—on their own—for snow removal, they may be hit with fines. The job just doesn’t get done.

Plowing sidewalks establishes parity between infrastructure and services for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders with drivers and road-users. And it guarantees everyone has access to the city’s economy, civic amenities, services, social life, transportation, and the outdoors. This includes almost 700,000 Chicagoans who have a mobility difficulty or vision impairment (including blindness), senior citizens, and households with small children. Consistently and reliably plowed sidewalks will also benefit postal and delivery workers, pet owners – and literally anyone who uses a sidewalk.

Municipal sidewalk snow plowing can be done city-wide. Annually, the City demonstrates that it can plow snow from roads. The example of cities like Toronto, Canada and Syracuse, NY show that snow plowing services can be applied to sidewalks just as easily. Toronto is the same size as Chicago, and over the years it has expanded snow plowing services into a coordinated service that includes roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks. There, sidewalks citywide can be plowed in as little as 13 hours and always within 72 hours of a snowfall.

The people of Chicago have shown they support this initiative, and they deserve a demonstration of what municipal sidewalk snow plowing looks like.

We urge you to vote “Yes” to pass the ‘Chicago Plow The Sidewalks Pilot Program’ ordinance, which will establish a working group to develop recommendations for carrying out a pilot. This is an opportunity for Chicago to introduce a critical new service that will benefit all residents while being life changing for hundreds of thousands. Taking this step will reaffirm Chicago’s position as a leader on disability equity and help make Chicago one of North America’s most accessible cities.

Sincerely,

Better Streets Chicago

Access Living

AARP Illinois

Active Transportation Alliance

AIDS Foundation Chicago

Chicago, Bike Grid Now!

Chicago Family Biking

Chicago Jobs with Justice

Commuters Take Action

Equiticity

Independent Drivers Guild of Illinois

Indivisible Lincoln Square

Metropolitan Planning Council

Northwest Center

Shared Use Mobility Center

Sierra Club Chicago

The Southwest Collective

Urban Environmentalists

Westside Justice Center