Colleen Jones, Centretown News Icy sidewalks like this one on Cooper Street are not an unusual sight for Centretown residents this winter.After a week of fluctuating weather that has brought snow, rain, sleet and ice pellets, Centretown pedestrians are anxious about slippery sidewalks in the area.
Sidewalks with a higher volume of pedestrian traffic such as Bank, Elgin, and Somerset Street are in good shape, however more residential side streets such as Nepean Street, Cooper Street, Gilmour Street, and MacLaren Street are covered in ice.
Ray Sullivan, executive director of Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, says the sidewalks this winter are not as well maintained as in previous years. He finds this worrisome, as many of the residents in the area are elderly or on modest to low incomes, and do not have cars or bus passes.
“These people rely on those sidewalks to get to work, to OC Transpo, to school or wherever it is they’re going that day.,” says Sullivan. “That’s a big part of our infrastructure that we rely on downtown, as much as people rely on roads in father- away neighbourhoods.”
A woman who works on MacLaren Street, but wished to remain anonymous, reported seeing elderly pedestrians unable to use the sidewalks.
“Last week I saw an older lady with a walker and she wasn’t able to get through anywhere,” she said. “I felt sorry for her and had to lift her walker for a few blocks. There a lot of elderly and disabled people who really have a hard time with the sidewalks not being properly cleared.”
Catherine McKenney, Somerset Coun., says that she shares the concerns of residents who live on these streets. She says she wants to ensure that sidewalks are safe so that we can all move around downtown safely and comfortably.
“Pedestrians are our most vulnerable road users and in order to build a downtown that encourages more people to leave their cars at home we need to build better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure,” says McKenney. “I do not believe that we can cut $2.7 million dollars from the snow operations budget and still provide pedestrians with the level of service they expect and rely on. This is one of the key reasons why I voted against the 2016 budget.”
She encourages residents to call 311 or email her office to let her know about problem areas.
With another winter storm expected to hit the capital Wednesday, many residents hope their concerns are heard and the city takes action to address the issue sooner than later.