BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The City of Buffalo is looking to lock in its snow management plan with winter quickly on its way. It is a major concern for neighbors this year - how Buffalo crews will clear the sidewalk.
Cities down the thruway have firm plans in place for sidewalks. In Rochester, property owners are in charge of clearing the pathways, but if it snows more than four inches, the city steps in to help. Property owners in Syracuse shovel most of the sidewalk snow, but city crews come in to clear the heavily trafficked pathways.
When the snow starts to pile up in Buffalo, Ashley Smith knows about the struggle all too well.
"Winter's are really challenging when you're navigating the sidewalks or using the bus and it's full of snow," Smith said.
Smith is a year-round bike rider, commuting to and from her home in the city, even in the snow.
"It is really really that we understand that our sidewalks are a part of that network," she added.
City officials have been looking into with a snow removal plan to better handle roads, dead-end streets and even bus stops.
It is a problem that Council Member Joe Golombek recognizes needs to be addressed.
"The response was not as good as it should've been and that was something I was disappointed in," he said.
The plan from the City of Buffalo was further discussed on Wednesday in the council chambers. It placed a big focus on snow and control along with a GPS tracking system for snow plows, which could even help with cars in the way.
"The GPS would monitor and it get in touch with different departments so that parking violations can get there and remove those cars and get there as quickly as possible so it doesn't back up snow plowing in the city," Golombek said.
Despite the plan, there is one thing people are concerned about that is not in the plan - sidewalk snow removal.
"It's really critical to prioritize the safety and accessibility when sidewalks serve all of our residents," Smith said.
Golombek said would be in favor of a pilot program or even long term plan to help with sidewalk removal.
7 News' Kristen Mirand spoke with Department of Public Works Commissioner Nathan Marton about the plan and why this particular topic is not mentioned.
"It's not as heavily outlined this plan is focused more on the vehicular side of it but I think that's something we can definitely look into for sure," Marton said.
Marton said despite being new to the role and the plan already being prepared prior to his new position, he is open to addressing sidewalk removal in the future.
For many people, like Smith, prioritizing sidewalks is something they would like to see addressed before the snow arrives.
"This is fundamentally about making sure that people in our city have dignity in getting to and from to the places they need to go," Smith said.
