How wide is your sidewalk? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

First Lady · 06-12-2012, 10:06 PM

Silly question, but without the random thoughts thread....

Anyway the city is replacing all the sidewalks in my community. IMHO they are quite wide. I would have liked to see them go narrower. I used to live in community that only had sidewalks on one side of street and they were about 4 feet wide.

Here we have walks on both sides and they are 5 feet wide.

Purely selfish - - I hate shoveling snow and with a corner lot and a driveway, let me tell you a foot narrower sidewalk would be awesome.

On another front, it would be safer for bikers on the street, given it would widen the street.

Cost wise ?? I don't know which is cheaper concrete or asphalt? I'm thinking the asphalt is.

Boblobla · 06-12-2012, 10:08 PM

you can shovel the snow from the sidewalk onto the street i believe.

simmonjam1 · 06-12-2012, 10:10 PM

We are getting fatter. Maybe we are moving to 5ft sidewalks to accommodate 2 fatties side by side.

First Lady · 06-12-2012, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boblobla

you can shovel the snow from the sidewalk onto the street i believe.

LOL oh yeah, that will make if feel narrower....

And no, I don't think you can. Pretty sure CP has had this discussion before...

Boblobla · 06-12-2012, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by First Lady

LOL oh yeah, that will make if feel narrower....

And no, I don't think you can. Pretty sure CP has had this discussion before...

iirc, you can't shovel snow from your property onto the road, but since the sidewalk is the city you can. idk. I remember making the comment it was lucky it didn't snow on my driveway, only the sidewalk and someone called me a jackass.

Rathji · 06-12-2012, 10:23 PM

Sidewalk is city property that you are in charge of maintenance for, as such you can shovel the snow from it on either your property or the street.

First Lady · 06-12-2012, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rathji

Sidewalk is city property that you are in charge of maintenance for, as such you can shovel the snow from it on either your property or the street.

Okay fine. ... But I want to shrink it dammit.

SebC · 06-12-2012, 10:30 PM

If it's a big ordeal, why not just buy a brusher or a blower?

jar_e · 06-12-2012, 10:30 PM

Move or complain to the city? Seems like the only two realistic options...

Kerplunk · 06-12-2012, 10:31 PM

I seem to recall looking where you can shovel snow, since I don't have a boulevard either, and we are able to put it on the street.

http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks...m88-Street.pdf
67 (7)

I think my walk is around 4 feet wide...I can get most of it in one pass...less if I get really lazy and just start dumping salt everywhere.

First Lady · 06-12-2012, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SebC

If it's a big ordeal, why not just buy a brusher or a blower?

Actually I do have a small 16" one. Still takes a ton of time and for a person with heart issues it can be challenging.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jar_e

Move or complain to the city? Seems like the only two realistic options...

We will be moving, not due to this; but will be a factor to consider at next home.

I just figured with the city having all these "plan-it" and "bike lane" plans; narrower sidewalks just sort of play right into that.

REDVAN · 06-12-2012, 11:05 PM

I think a better solution to making it wider, would be to enforce current bylaws. In the winter it needs to be shoveled within 24 hrs. If I can do it, everyone should be able to.

In summer, trim those bushes so that two people can walk (and THOSE bushes should also be trimmer too...)

I can't even walk solo down the sidewalk near some houses around my area.

You Need a Thneed · 06-12-2012, 11:08 PM

0" here.

SebC · 06-12-2012, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by First Lady

Actually I do have a small 16" one. Still takes a ton of time and for a person with heart issues it can be challenging.

Perhaps you need an upgrade then, or a to hire someone to do it for you.

I assume that having a corner lot affects how much sidewalk you have to clear (~100% increase over a non-corner lot) more than the width of your sidewalk (~25% more than 4ft). Throw in your driveway and both of those percentages drop significantly. Or, if you lived in a condo you might not have to worry about clearing snow at all.

I understand that you might see the extra width as unnecessary, or not providing sufficient benefit to justify the extra burden it creates and that's a worthwhile discussion to have, but it also sounds like you're not really being solution-oriented or 100% accepting of your role in this.

Perhaps instead of asking how wide our sidewalks are you should be asking if anyone can recommend a good snow thrower.

Bunk · 06-12-2012, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by First Lady

On another front, it would be safer for bikers on the street, given it would widen the street.

Yes and no. Vehicle traffic will tend to drive faster on wider roadways. Narrower roads slow vehicles by virture of their proximity to parked vehicles and oncoming traffic. That is less safe for cyclists and pedestrians.

Sidewalks should at least be wide enough for two adults to comfortably walk beside eachother down the street. Busier pedestrian environments should allow a clear path for at least 2 couples to pass one another.

puffnstuff · 06-12-2012, 11:44 PM

No sidewalk at my house.

I do truly enjoy watching the clown across the street neglect to shovel his enormous corner lot sidewalk, then get crap from everyone, then have to go out after the freeze thaw cycle and people walking on it, turns it into a giant ice slab.

Yasa · 06-12-2012, 11:56 PM

'bout tree fiddy

MoneyGuy · 06-13-2012, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boblobla

you can shovel the snow from the sidewalk onto the street i believe.

No you can't and I hate when I see people shoveling snow onto the road when there is an option. It is especially bad when people then get stuck in the snow someone has put on the road.

llama64 · 06-13-2012, 03:57 AM

Solution to everyone's whinging...

Move into a downtown condo and never shovel a walk ever again.

Living in the 'burbs is highly overrated, especially during winter

*Brought to you by the move to the inner city people dammit so that we can get better coffee shops to stay open longer then 5pm already association of Calgary

Rathji · 06-13-2012, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

No you can't and I hate when I see people shoveling snow onto the road when there is an option. It is especially bad when people then get stuck in the snow someone has put on the road.

In Calgary, you can most certainly shovel snow from the city sidewalk onto the street.

edit:

From http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/ABS/Pages.../Snow-ice.aspx

Quote:

Owners/occupants are responsible for the complete removal of snow and ice from all City pathways and sidewalks, adjacent to the front or side of their property, within 24 hours after the snow stops falling.
...

Snow or ice from private property cannot be placed on a road or boulevard.

It says that you need to clean city sidewalks, but only specifies that the snow from private property cannot be placed onto a road or boulevard.