Watch CBS News

City Official Urges Neighbors To Keep Snowy Sidewalks Passable

City: Keep Sidewalks Clean

(CBS) -- Chicago officials say it's up to the neighbors to clear the snow and ice from sidewalks so the disabled can get around safely – and even if city snowplows make their jobs more difficult.

WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports.

The bottom line, says 3-1-1 system director Audrey Mathis, is that people with homes or businesses near street corners with wheelchair-accessible ramp cuts are responsible for keeping them clear.

But don't city snowplows sometimes bury them?

"That's an interesting question," Mathis conceded Thursday. "It's unfortunate when the streets are plowed, that is usually where the snow, it is packed."

The city isn't required to clear the sidewalks.

"We ask neighbors and people on the block to be considerate and understand. A lot of times the people who live on the corners take care of those areas as well," Mathis says.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.