Here’s a winter perspective from a pedestrian. I walk nearly every day. I sold my car in the fall of 2007. As a student and businessman I use the CTA’s Blue line or Green line trains whenever I go to Chicago. I walk to Ed’s Way or the Jewel in River Forest. One Sunday, a few weeks ago, I decided that, while on my walk to Proviso East High School, I would rank the conditions of the sidewalks. My report card includes grades for the sidewalks in several locations:
Proviso East High School: B
River Forest Community Center on Madison: A-
Grant White School and Garfield School: B
River Forest residential sidewalks: F
Forest Park residential side walks: D
Forest Park commercial sidewalks: C
I based my assumptions on the obstacles I faced in navigating the icy conditions. A neighbor of mine, who also walks to the CTA trains, agreed that we are often forced to walk in the street
I’m middle-aged and in reasonably good health, but I can only contemplate how difficult these conditions are for other pedestrians, namely: children, folks with disabilities and seniors. I shovel when I can only to grow frustrated when the village throws the snow back on my property. There needs to be a better strategy for the village’s snow removal.
The powers that be need to make a better plan for snow removal, reserve a copy for themselves and issue it to the public, as well. That would be a greater benefit then what we are getting now. I will follow up in a few weeks after this pending snow alert and send out new grades! Please “show me the sidewalk.”
Sincerely “Slip Sliding Away,”
Bob Cox
