Council directs staff to revisit Riverwalk winter maintenance after public concerns about snow and ice

The Council voted to ask the city manager to revisit winter maintenance policy for the Riverwalk so the city can better address snow and ice removal, after residents and councilors said accumulated snow and ice made a heavily used corridor unsafe.

Public speaker Dr. Steven Oliver told the council, "The River Walk is such a key asset for the city," and described sections where compacted snow and ice are impeding pedestrian movement and accessibility.

Why it matters: The Riverwalk is widely used for commuting, recreation and access across neighborhoods. Councilors said winter maintenance falls into a complex ownership and operations mix that includes the National Park Service, UMass Lowell and municipal departments; several asked for a policy that clarifies responsibilities and a sustainable, repeatable winter plan.

What the council decided and next steps

Councilor Jeunesse moved the request to reconsider the winter maintenance policy for the Riverwalk to include snow and ice removal; the motion was seconded and the council approved it. Assistant City Manager Machado reported on a stakeholder meeting that included the National Park Service and UMass Lowell; staff will meet quarterly and set up CivicPlus intake so residents can log concerns about overgrowth, graffiti and maintenance needs. Machado said snow removal was not resolved at the first meeting and will be added to the agenda for the March stakeholders meeting.

Supporting details

- A resident and several councilors described layers of snow and compacted ice after consecutive storms and noted an earlier period when the Riverwalk received routine clearing. - Staff said the corridor is managed by multiple entities and that plowing strategies must avoid pushing snow into the river; that constraint complicates simple plow-and-pile approaches. - Councilors asked staff to pursue short-term mitigation (e.g., localized clearing or equipment deployment) and a durable long-term maintenance policy coordinated among stakeholders.

Ending

Staff committed to report back after the March stakeholder meeting with options for winter maintenance, and councilors asked that the public-facing CivicPlus complaints channel be publicized so residents can flag immediate hazard locations.