Walk on the snowy side

By Betsy Martens

As the reality of winter sinks slowly into the collective Chicagoland consciousness, do you find yourself reliving the agony of past winters? That time you were rushing to the train and didn’t see the spot in the ice that had been polished to a sheen by hundreds of feet walking the same path? Or perhaps you saw someone fall and rushed over to help, only to slip and fall yourself?

Icy neighborhood sidewalks can be a winter hazard, but unlike the weather, they can be tamed into submission. It may be bitterly cold, and it may be snowy and icy, but the sidewalks we all use should be a safe and hazard-free way to get around.

The Active Transportation Alliance wants your help to get the word out about everyone’s responsibility (defined by the law in some cities, including Chicago) to keep the public sidewalks in front of homes and businesses clear of snow and ice.

Take it to your street. You can download, print and distribute flyers in English and in Spanish that remind (and thank) your neighbors about clear sidewalks. 

1. Download the flyer
2. Print up a bunch of copies or get them printed at a local shop. You can get 100 for less than $8! Ask them to print it on bright color
3. Take a walk up and down your block. After the next snow, target homes with unshoveled walks in particular. This is a simple, direct way to let your neighbors know that they need to step up and act like responsible members of the community

You can also read Chicago’s ordinance. Also find out if your community requires snow removal.

Sidewalks are not a luxury. They are transportation. They are the road. Neglected, icy sidewalks make a simple trip to the corner store treacherous for the physically impaired, the aged, or parents with strollers, who sometimes have to forego the sidewalk completely and walk next to parked cars in the street.

Then there are the business people trying to get to the train with their wheeled luggage, the runner who had knee surgery and still needs a cane; party-goers coming home after several hours at the bar.

We spoke with our Logan Square mailman, Melvin, about the difficulties of pushing his cart over the hardened snow and ice. He said it slows him down immensely, to the point where he is sometimes still delivering mail long after dark. Not only is walking difficult, but the wheels on his cart become clogged with snow, which keeps the cart from rolling.

It is a question of access. If you live in Chicago then you already have a law on the books, and just need to educate people. If you live in one of the surrounding suburbs, you may or may not be protected by a municipal ordinance. We can help you get started . And if you are still resisting the idea of shoveling, check out these tips.

The Salt Question

Once you’ve shoveled, how do you keep the damp sidewalk from turning into a slick sheet of ice? Most de-icing compounds damage both plants and soil when used in large quantities, but leaving your public sidewalk slippery can be equally damaging. Alternatives include sand, sawdust, and a relatively new, salt-free melting agent called calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), made from dolomite limestone and acetic acid. If salting is unavoidable, you can counteract its impact by flushing your soil with water in the early spring, applying two inches over a period of two to three hours, then repeating again three days later.