Commissioners press Mobile GR for clearer sidewalk snow-and-ice SOPs after reports of blocked curb cuts and injuries

Multiple commissioners used the Dec. 4 Mobile GR meeting to press staff for a review of sidewalk snow-and-ice procedures and stronger enforcement of clearing priorities.

"We have blocked sidewalks because of snow and ice... I would like to request a review and reform of the snow and ice report SOP," one commissioner said, citing an incident in Burton Heights where an uncleared curb cut stranded an electric wheelchair user. The commissioner said they cleared the curb themselves and requested the current SOP for review.

Another commissioner urged attention to bike-lane snow clearance and described sidewalks that are packed rather than cleared, which can be impassable for people using mobility devices. "It's pretty much impossible if you are using any sort of assisted device," the commissioner said of packed sidewalks.

Staff acknowledged the requests; a commissioner who co-chairs a transportation subcommittee described ongoing work to create neighborhood bike-route maps using aggregated Strava data, and another commissioner volunteered to rejoin the conversation once the SOP is provided.

The transcript records requests for the existing SOP and for staff to return with the numbers and timeframes that underpin current prioritization. No formal policy change or vote occurred; commissioners asked staff to produce documentation for further review.