It has been several weeks since our last snowfall and still some sidewalks have yet to be shoveled. By the time you read this, Mother Nature will hopefully have melted them clear, but in the meantime many people have been inconvenienced: the kids who walk to school or wait in the street if the bus stop is snowed over; the neighbors who walk the dog or jog around the block; the cross country and track teams out for their runs; parents with strollers; commuters who walk to the train station; people with disabilities and wheelchair users; and many others.
Snow-clogged trails and crossings galvanized a group of hardy bike commuters to the Forrestal campus in Plainsboro to organize recently — they have named themselves the Forrestal Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocates, and can be reached at forrestal.bpa@gmail.com. The WWBPA strongly support them.
Motorists don’t expect to encounter these reluctant roadway users, and so don’t see them, especially after dark. In January two pedestrians on the road were hospitalized after being struck by cars: one, in daytime near Grover Middle School; and the other, at night near the train station.
Local ordinances require property owners to clear the snow, often within 24 hours, and the vast majority of owners gladly do so. Trouble spots often occur at corner lots, where the sidewalk access at the corner has been piled high with snow from the street. Other trouble spots may include bridges, crosswalks, multi-use trails, and sidewalks owned in common by a neighborhood association.
Be a good neighbor. Go out there and clean any remaining snow off your sidewalk. And next time it snows, please clean your sidewalk right away. If you see a longstanding trouble spot, gently remind the owner or association president, or if necessary report it to the township. You might even help your neighbor attack that huge pile covering the sidewalk access. Everyone will thank you.
Jerry Foster
President, West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance
