This is no surprise, and has been going on for years.
Those who walk this area more than one time per week say walking on these conditions isn’t just slippery, it’s also frustrating.
“It’s kind of bogus. They expect us to keep up with our end of the deal and they’re not up to it. It’s frustrating for us commuters on bikes to have to get up and take that time to get through that snow,” Bull Bear said.
I have often noticed that the city takes their sweet ass time cleaning city property. Surprised they don’t require the railroad company to clean the sidewalks on the viaduct since they are the closest adjacent property. Funny how the city dictates to us that we clean THEIR sidewalks and trim THEIR trees but they can’t do it themselves. Pretty soon they will have a city ordinance requiring all pedestrians to carry around a shovel in the winter. Of course the city had an excuse;
KELOLAND News checked several bridges around the city and found many were like the viaduct. We also talked with a city official who explained that most of the bridges in the city, including the viaduct, are state property. However the city does clear them off if they receive a complaint about snow cover.
Hmmm. Bridges in SF are state property. Then why in the hell did SF taxpayers have to bond and pay for the new bridge on 41st street? So which is it?
(BELOW: Channel 16 Screenshot commercial)
I don’t believe the city actually owns the sidewalks or trees in front of your home. You own them, but the city has an easement on the land underneath them for utility right-of-way, future street widening etc.
You get to pay taxes on it, but you can’t build anything on the land etc (with rare exception).
Over the years I have noticed that a lot of the bussinesses along south Louise and west 41st are horrible about cleaning their sidewalks, and the ends of the sidewalks where the snow gets piled by the snow plows. They clean their parking lots but not the sidewalks where pedestrians and people in wheel chairs have to travel.
Craig – You may be correct about the actual sidewalk, but the city owns the BLVD. They carry liability insurance on it. In other words if a rogue branch takes out a contracted snowplow cab’s window, the city’s insurance covers it. So if I ‘owned’ the blvd, wouldn’t my homeowner’s insurance cover that? Sorry, bro, you are wrong on this issue. The city used to trim their own trees in the blvd but they changed the ordinance, I feel, because of pressure from tree-trimming businesses wanting the business.
Joan – One of the worst is Campbell supply on Western. Never cleans the sidewalks.
Am I mistaken but didn’t we have several news stories last year or couple of years, about handicapped people including a wheelchair bound person and the inability to use the sidewalks which had not been cleaned? I would also agree that regardless of who owns them, somebody is responsible for cleaning the snow and ice off of them. Perhaps the Mayor might want to walk the uncleared walks, or………………….better yet, let him do it in a wheelchair. Bet it wouldn’t take him long to figure out what to do about it.
What I especially love is the message the city sends out to “call on your neighbor if they haven’t shoveled”. Shouldn’t the message be “help your neighbor”? It’s one thing if a person is lazy, but a lot of my neighbors are older and can’t even push a lawnmower. Fortunately the people on our block try to help others out with lawnc are and snow removal whenever they can. How about getting the message out to help a neighbor instead of turning neighbors on one another? Oh that’s right, so they can get that sweet windfall of money from fines.
The city is right however – many of our bridges (not all, but many) are state property.
12th Street / 10th street is Highway 42, so the state is responsible for the bridges. 60th St N is Highway 38. On the East side we have Highway 11, and Minnesota Avenue is actually Highway 115.
I know there is some overlap of things like street sweeping and snow removal, but in the end the state is responsible for the upkeep. 41st on the other hand is not a state highway and is city owned which is why our city had to bond the new 41st st bridge.
Also Scott, the city liability issue for contractors has more to do with falling branches due to snow and ice load… which would not be covered by your home owners insurance. Same holds true if a branch falls into your neighbors yard and smacks their house – unless they had alerted you to a potential dangerous condition previously (rotting trunk or broken branches etc), they are on their own for the damage.
I recommend you contact your city council member and ask them for clarification because I don’t expect you to believe me, but your understanding of actual ownership vs. easement issues seems to be incorrect.
Craig – You may be right, and I may be wrong on the issue BUT good luck getting a straight answer from the city, they seem to be all over the map when it comes to code enforcement, and that is why they lost in the SDSC there is not consistency.
I also think it is funny that KELO interviewed a city director about public parking; http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm/Major_Downtown_Parking_Upgrades/?Id=126800
Can you say ‘Plant’
And they never mention she is the director of the libraries . . . . hmmm.
So, how many years did we pay out $100,000+ to take in $25,000 in revenue………..before they figured this out??!!
Parking attendent what a great gig. Even better gig? Elevator operator. Met one a few years back in San Francisco. He had a big screen TV in his OWN office right next to the elevator.