1/6/2021
Communities struggle to get sidewalks cleared
Rhode Island communities continue to struggle with the idea of getting sidewalks adequately cleared after storms. Victor Rodriquez, of Providence, pictured a year ago, uses a snowblower to clear a sidewalk along Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. (Breeze photo by Charles Lawrence)
By ETHAN SHOREY and LAUREN CLEM Valley Breeze Staff Writers
Northern Rhode Island communities remain largely unfriendly to pedestrians after snowstorms, a safety issue brought on by inconsistent clearing and enforcement efforts, and officials are most often declining to fill in the gaps with municipal crews.
Officials in several cities and towns remain reluctant to issue tickets for failure to clear sidewalks, despite the presence of ordinances requiring such work to be done by abutting property owners within certain timeframes, and they’ve also not been enthusiastic about buying sidewalk plows and doing the work as a municipal service.