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Sanitation

Private Property, residential or commercial property owners and occupants are required to clear the sidewalks abutting their property of snow or ice within 24 hours after the snow and ice have stopped falling. This includes the corner crosswalk area for property owners with corner lots or those whose property abuts a midblock crosswalk. Violators of this ordinance who are reported to Sanitation districts are issued a notice to clear the walk. If the sidewalks still are not clear within another 24 hours, a Sanitation crew will clear a path on the walk, and the charge will appear on the property tax bill.The city is responsible for only the approaches to alleys; alleys are not plowed.

Sidewalk clearing for older citizens and disabled persons Residents living in single family homes who are physically unable to clear the sidewalk in front of their home may apply to Sanitation services for assistance with clearing the walk after a snowstorm. Click here to learn more about special needs services.

Public Sidewalks and Crosswalks Sanitation services is responsible for clearing crosswalks of excessive amounts of snow due to plowing. Public sidewalks are cleared following street cleanup after a storm. Because the crews who drive snow plows also operate sidewalk and bus stop cleanup equipment, these operations begin after street plowing is finished. City properties and those with hardship exception cases are plowed first, then crosswalks and alley openings are cleared. It generally takes up to three days to complete a sidewalk operation.

Bus Stops When directed, the Street Maintenance Section of the Infrastructure Services Division clears windrows of plowed snow from 2,085 bus stops. Click here to learn more about Bus Stop snow removal.

City Owned Buildings Each city department is responsible for maintaining clear sidewalks abutting their buildings and field offices in outlying areas, while the City Hall complex is maintained by Buildings & Fleet.

Pedestrian Walks Forestry Division clears a limited number of specified locations while other walks are cleared by Sanitation staff.

City Owned Parking Lots The Forestry Division clears the abutting sidewalks of snow and ice. The lots themselves are cleared by private contractors.

City Owned Vacant Lots The Department of City Development Real Estate section clears sidewalks around lots that the section owns.

Totlots Sidewalks around and through totlots are salted by Forestry for ice control only. If plowing of sidewalks is necessary, Sanitation clears totlot sidewalks.

Railroad Bridges Sanitation clears sidewalks abutting railroad bridges in conjunction with a general plowing operation.

City Maintained Bridges The Infrastructure Services Division is responsible for a specified list of sidewalks on bridges. images bridge sidewalks are cleared by the Sanitation Division but only in conjunction with a plowing operation cleanup.

Bridges/Overpasses Over Freeways/Interstate Highways Pedestrian walkways and streets with sidewalks abutting bridges are cleared by the Sanitation Division, only when a plowing operation is called and there is sufficient snow accumulation to warrant a plowing.

City ordinance prohibits shoveling snow onto streets Property owners should deposit the snow from sidewalks and driveways onto their yards or the strip between the curb and sidewalk. Click here to learn more about the City ordinance that prohibits shoveling, blowing, dumping and plowing snow and ice onto city streets.

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