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Are Your Sidewalks a Frozen Deathtrap?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 13, 2009
Modified Jan 13, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 13, 2009
Modified Jan 13, 2009
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In a 1996 article about the ultra-rich, the NY Times points out that Billy Cosby's Manhattan sidewalk is heated and therefore "remains opulently snow-free," which also leaves him lawsuit-free. The ultra-non-rich use the archaic shovel, but the job still gets done, and you may even receive a thank you for your hard work. Not everyone does their duty of de-icing, however.
Recently, one woman spotted another pregnant woman falling on the icy stretch of sidewalk in Brooklyn, only to be carted off in an ambulance. The witness reported back, "This woman fell on a stretch of State Street that is always a disaster in inclement weather. I called 311 when I got home. I was transferred three times to various departments. Finally I reached a woman who told me I have to file the complaint with the Sanitation Department." She was then told that the DoS were involved in a snow removal action and weren’t taking any complaints.
Folks in Kensington have been speaking up about the state of their sidewalks as well. They note that the administrative code of NYC states, "Removal of snow, ice and dirt from sidewalks; property owners' duties. Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant, or other person, having charge of any building or lot of ground in the city, abutting upon any street where the sidewalk is paved, shall, within four hours after the snow ceases to fall."
In DUMBO, the sidewalks by the Manhattan Bridge are coated with ice, as is the pedestrian plaza (both pictured). When we inquired about it this morning, the DoT told us, "The City is generally in charge of snow removal on streets and sidewalks, though property owners share in that responsibility on adjacent sidewalks." If you'd like to shame the non-shovelers in your neighborhood, please send your photo (and location information) to tipsATgothamistDOTcom.
UPDATE: When asked who was responsible specifically for the DUMBO areas pictured above, the DoT told us: "We'll check it out." And since we posted, the Brooklyn Paper has put together a video from the scene.
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Dept. of Sanitation
Dept. of Transportation
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dumbo
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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