Title
Resolution to Improve Winter Sidewalk Maintenance
Body
Whereas, Sidewalks are vital transportation corridors;
Whereas, 27% of Ann Arbor residents walk or use transit to get to work;
Whereas, The Americans with Disabilities Act sets accessibility standards for the design of sidewalks and curb ramps, but access is also critically impaired by snow and ice;
Whereas, Uncleared or piled snow on sidewalks, curb ramps, and crosswalks is dangerous, as exhibited by the February 2020 death of an Ann Arbor resident who fell and died after attempting to step over a mound of snow left by a snow plow in a downtown crosswalk;
Whereas, In October 2015, City Council accepted the Pedestrian Safety and Access Task Force report and tasked City Administration with review and implementation of feasible recommendations;
Whereas, The 2015 Pedestrian Safety and Access Task Force Report finds that our current transportation network places an emphasis on the mobility of motorized vehicles at the expense of pedestrian mobility and safety;
Whereas, The 2015 Pedestrian Safety and Access Task Force report recommendations include 1) eliminating impassable snow piles left in crosswalks, sidewalk ramps, crossing islands, and bus stops and 2) undertaking and assessing the financial, operational feasibility and level of community support of the City undertaking snow and ice removal on the City's public sidewalk system;
Whereas, In June 2020 City Council unanimously adopted the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan which includes as a core strategy reducing vehicle miles traveled by at least 50% by 2030;
Whereas, In February 2021, SnowBuddy released a report "Access for All: Maintaining Our Sidewalk Transportation Corridors in Winter" which proposes options for the City of Ann Arbor to conduct winter maintenance of city sidewalks in a safe and professional manner in all neighborhoods;
Whereas, In February 2021, the Transportation Commission endorsed the goal of municipal sidewalk s...
Click here for full text