SIDEWALKS

BLOCKED BY

SNOW AT

WOOD ACRES ES

School and Public Sidewalks Not

Wheelchair Accessible

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

Less than a month after I wrote about icy sidewalks in front of Wood Acres ES, the public pathway is inaccessible to the disabled - and downright dangerous for anyone.

Apparently, the laws requiring sidewalks to be cleared apply to the taxpayers, but not to the county and MCPS.

Examine the above photos I took last evening. This is 8 days after the snowstorm ended!

Read the following from the county code:

Property owners are responsible for clearing public sidewalks on or
adjacent to their property within 24 hours of the end of a
snowstorm.

Please note: The Montgomery County Commission for People with Disabilities
reminds residents that people who use walkers, wheelchairs, baby
strollers, rolling briefcases, etc, need 36-inch wide sidewalks
and curb ramps for safe travel, especially when the walks are slippery
or wet.

Now check those photos above again. No wheelchair is getting through there!

Another dangerous problem, is that there is another wall of snow where the main crosswalk in front of the school meets the sidewalk. So if a child is crossing and a car were to suddenly speed up the street, he or she would be unable to step onto the sidewalk. This renders the crosswalk effectively useless, and encourages pedestrians to jaywalk - because that is the only way to cross under the circumstances.

So use caution, and hopefully they will have this cleaned up quickly.