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Boston councilors and disability advocates press for clearer snow-removal plan as officials detail capacity and costs
Summary
Residents and disability advocates told the City Council on March 3 that uncleared sidewalks, curb cuts and bus stops left many isolated after winter storms; the city described 61.6 inches of season snowfall, 14 peak snow farms, use of rented snow melters and the staffing limits of pilot volunteer programs.
Boston — At a March 3 hearing of the Boston City Council Committee on City Services, residents and disability advocates urged the city to adopt a clearer, prioritized snow‑removal plan after two historic storms this winter left sidewalks, curb cuts and bus stops impassable.
Chair Ed Flynn opened the hearing and read three dockets on snow‑removal relief, a proposed Snow Corps and the purchase or rental of snow melters. Councilor Enrique Pepin, sponsor of one docket, described a volunteer “Pepin’s Snow Angels” program that drew 39 volunteers and said his goal was to build on what worked rather than to criticize.
Why it matters: Witnesses said the failures were not only an inconvenience but a civil‑rights and public‑safety issue for seniors and people with disabilities. “I’ve been mostly stuck inside,” said Cassandra Xavier, a mobility advocate who demonstrated in a video how blocked curb cuts force pedestrians into traffic. “We are asking for our basic right to be respected every single time.”
The a…
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