Along with the heaping piles of snow along the sides of the roads, a familiar sight this winter season has been pedestrians walking along the sides of those roads, avoiding the uncleared sidewalks they sporadically come across around the town.
West Windsor Township Council members have expressed concerns during recent meetings, saying some residents were not doing their part to clear the sidewalks in front of their homes — problematic, especially for students trying to walk to school.
During the council’s most recent meeting last month, council members cited the importance of doing so, especially in areas near crucial crosswalks and intersections.
In fact, council members pointed out, it is required of residents under the township’s ordinance. Under the ordinance, residents are required to clear the sidewalks and walkways in front of their homes within 24 hours of a snowstorm.
West Windsor Council members said they were worried that the penalties for failing to clear the snow were not clear in the ordinance, and administrative officials are looking into solutions.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said township officials have also been discussing the issue internally. “We will probably make it clearer that when you have snow, that the residents should not be allowed to park the car on the roadways on some selected roadways,” he said. “Apparently, the snow plows had difficulties with that in doing the cleaning.”
He said officials were also working on making it clearer to residents that they are responsible for clearing the sidewalks. “We will make the penalties more clear,” he said.
While there has not officially been a designated date for further discussion, the mayor said the issue will be discussed with the council at the appropriate time.
In the meantime, he has asked Community Development Director Pat Ward to follow up with the township’s attorney to see what can be done to implement the ordinance more easily.
Meanwhile, Councilwoman Linda Geevers spoke at the WW-P school board meeting to also remind residents to clear the pathways for school children.
West Windsor’s snow removal requirements are similar to those of other municipalities. In Plainsboro, residents are required to remove snow and ice from sidewalks and pathways within 24 hours after the end of a snowfall.
“Under the circumstances, after last week, it’s tough,” said Plainsboro Township Administrator Robert Sheehan. “People are having a hard time, and we’re trying to take a common sense approach. We take it on a case-by-case basis. if there’s an obvious hazard, we take steps to address the issue.”
In Princeton Borough, the municipal website states that borough code there also requires property owners to remove snow and ice from the sidewalks within 24 hours after the snowfall stops.
Princeton Township’s website, however, cites code that requires residents in that municipality to remove snow and ice within 48 hours after snow has stopped falling.
Prior to the winter storm on February 1, West Windsor officials also posted information to the township’s website, urging residents to be patient when it comes to plowing. “Please remember that our main priority is to make roads passable for our community,” the message states. “If snow plows inadvertently push snow into your driveway aprons or sidewalk areas, the property owner is still responsible to remove the snow. West Windsor Township cannot and does not clear driveway aprons or sidewalks, regardless of how the snow has arrived there.”
The message stated that the township has approximately 259 lane miles of roads to plow. Road crews begin with the township’s primary roads throughout snowfall before entering secondary roads. “Typical storms may take up to 36 hours after snowfall ends to plow all secondary roads,” the message states. “However, the recent storm event produced a heavier snow that has been more difficult to plow than during typical storms.”
