HoCo talks big game about its handy dandy snowplow tracker but what about all the sidewalks that still remain covered? We live in a town that can clear its streets and parking lots within hours of an epic December storm but pity anyone who wants to get around on two feet.
The lack of sidewalks is reason No. 1 why kids have missed three days of school (see pic above).
All these impassible pathways make us wonder whether Columbia can ever truly have a pedestrian-friendly downtown.
Clearly, the county's policy of threatening fines for failing to clear sidewalks is not working. So permit us a modest proposal: Give people an incentive to do the deed. Pay them. Time a compliance check with everyone's recycling pick-up date. If the sidewalks are clear, use that little embedded RFID chip in the blue recycling bins to record the accomplishment. Then, give us a nominal rebate on our trash collection bill.
Hey, it works for BG&E, we just signed up for a fancy new switch to cut our air conditioning use during times of peak energy demand -- all because we get a little money off our electric bill.
We think such a plan might actually get people to shovel more than their driveways, and increase recycling to boot.
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1 comment:
How about CA puts up a "pathway tracker"? Maybe not all 90+ miles need to be cleared quickly, but those paths intended for kids to walk to/from school should be cleared ASAP, and communicating that the paths are clear should be a priority.
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