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Advocates urge DPW to prioritize sidewalk and ramp clearance after disability access failures
Summary
Members of the Multimodal Accessibility Advisory Council described people with disabilities who were trapped or unable to reach transit after the storm and urged DPW to treat sidewalks and ramps with the same operational rigor as street plowing and to pursue legislative changes making DPW directly responsible.
Kelly Mack, a power‑wheelchair user and member of the Multimodal Accessibility Advisory Council, described repeated life‑altering impacts when sidewalks and curb ramps were not cleared after the January storm. "I was forced to stay at home for about a week because I could not safely navigate my neighborhood," Mack testified, adding later, "I've been trapped in my home for 16 days and counting."
MAC requested that DPW overhaul snow‑clearance practices to prioritize accessibility and seek legislative authority to assign DPW direct responsibility for clearing public sidewalks and ramps. Committee members agreed the role responsibilities across DPW, DDOT and National Park Service are unclear for some pedestrian infrastructure, and they asked DPW to provide clarifying operational plans at the March hearing.
