The things you see on a Woodmont Avenue sidewalk after a snowstorm (Photos)

A number of odd sightings were made on Woodmont Avenue Saturday, after the overnight snowstorm, between Fairmont and Cordell Avenues. Water pouring onto the sidewalk from a drain in a wall at the 8001 Woodmont apartment building had frozen into a waterfall of ice, and was cordoned off by a pair of JBG SMITH cones for safety purposes. 

Amazon packages had been left on the front step of the vacant former Sir Walter Raleigh restaurant building at 8011 Woodmont. And some of the building's street numbers - the 0 and a 1 - have been pried off. 

Finally, the vacant properties along Woodmont - including 8011 - that are now owned by the developer of the stalled Artena Bethesda project were again forcing their way into the news. The clear sidewalk of the southern portion of the block gave way to a narrow, one-person pathway in front of the Artena lots. That's not wide enough to meet ADA standards, much less for two able-bodied people to pass each other without someone stepping onto the ice and slush.

Bethesda sidewalk stragglers run out the clock as next snow arrives (Photos)

Cordell Avenue at Norfolk Avenue

Property owners with uncleared sidewalks in downtown Bethesda were able to run out the clock last night. While Fairmont Avenue's sidewalk was now well-cleared Thursday morning, a half-job was done on the sidewalks surrounding the vacant properties associated with the 8000 and 8008 Wisconsin Avenue redevelopment projects along Cordell and Woodmont Avenues, north of Bethesda Chocolates. 

"Missed a spot" is an understatement on
Cordell between Woodmont and Wisconsin Aves.

A narrow path was shoveled on the Woodmont side by Thursday evening, and ice stretched across the entire width of the sidewalk in some spots on the Cordell side. Yet to be cleared was the southeast corner of the intersection of Cordell and Norfolk Avenue. Alas, the next snowstorm began about five hours ago, and has effectively turned the hourglass back over again for the sidewalks of Bethesda.

33% effort on Woodmont Avenue

Some Bethesda sidewalks remain shovel-ready 2 days after snowstorm (Photos)

UPDATE - 2:07 PM:  The sidewalk on Fairmont Avenue has been cleared (see photo at bottom)

Two days after the snowstorm, pedestrians in downtown Bethesda are still finding some dangerous stretches of sidewalk. Montgomery County requires property owners to clear sidewalks abutting their property within 24 hours of the conclusion of snowfall. Shown here are several spots along Woodmont, Cordell and Fairmont Avenues. Perhaps not surprisingly, the vacant properties associated with the 8008 and 8000 Wisconsin redevelopment projects are among them. 

Leaving sidewalks unshoveled actually becomes more dangerous as time goes on, as snow that initially may provide some traction for the able-bodied begins to melt. It then refreezes as visible or black ice, causing pedestrians to fall, or to walk into traffic in the adjacent roadway to get around it. While one of the properties on Woodmont is a former Montgomery County public parking lot, ownership of that lot transferred from the County to the 8000 Wisconsin developer last year.

Riemer sidewalk shoveling law utterly fails again in Bethesda (Photos)

Compared to the blizzard promised on the TV, Tuesday's storm was a relative dusting. But walking around downtown Bethesda, pedestrians are finding that Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer's 2014 election stunt sidewalk shoveling law has utterly failed once again. In addition, Riemer's much-touted new "snow portal" snowplow tracker landed with a thud, soundly panned by his constituents after the storm.

This was only a mild storm - imagine what a disaster we would have faced if the actual blizzard had hit us as predicted. Yesterday, pedestrians could be seen sliding and staggering over uncleared downtown sidewalks, including Norfolk Avenue, a major route for commuters walking from Metro to apartments on Battery Lane. In a wheelchair? You're not going anywhere on these sidewalks.

Let's take a walk, remember what Riemer said in his many self-promoting media appearances on his snow shoveling bill, and fact check his results, shall we? These are photos taken more than 24 hours after snow stopped falling:

Auburn Avenue

 "I am pleased with

 our progress on sidewalk

 snow removal, which I

 addressed in legislation

 in 2014."

- Hans Riemer

Norfolk Avenue

"I find that the County

is doing a much better

job clearing snow from

sidewalks." 

- Hans Riemer

Norfolk Avenue

"Urban districts are also

doing a dramatically

better job clearing snow,

allowing businesses and

residents to get back to

usual more quickly." 

- Hans Riemer

Del Ray Avenue

 "I think we've made

significant strides on

the issue of sidewalk

snow removal."

- Hans Riemer

Del Ray Avenue

 “The goal of this

bill is to make our

county more walkable

in every season.”

- Hans Riemer

Del Ray Avenue

"[Riemer's] legislation seeks

to ensure sidewalks

are passable after storms."

- The Gazette, 2014

Norfolk Avenue crosswalk
at St. Elmo Avenue

"In my experience,

private property owners

are acting with more care

and diligence for sidewalk

snow removal. County 

education efforts have 

made a big impact."

- Hans Riemer

Old Georgetown Road

Bethesda sidewalks still not cleared of snow - a month later! (Photos)

Need any more evidence that Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer's 2014 election-year stunt sidewalk shoveling law has completely failed? Try walking along Westbard Avenue in Bethesda. A full month after snow stopped falling on January 23, several blockages remain unshoveled.

The snowdrift pictured here at Westbard and Ridgefield Road last night has been slowly melting away over the last month, but continues to fully block passage in one direction. It also fails to provide ADA-width passage heading up and down Ridgefield. This is at the vacant Manor Care nursing home site, owned by Equity One.

Additional blockades remain on the other side of Westbard between Ridgefield and the first entrance to the Westwood Shopping Center, and - unbelievably - alongside Montgomery County Public Schools property at Westland Middle School on Westbard. These not only block pedestrians, but also block access to several Ride On bus stops. Again, we're talking about 30 days later here as of today, folks.

As you may recall, these are the same blocked sidewalks the Montgomery County Council rode past on a bus on February 5, and did absolutely nothing to address. No phone calls, no public comment, no nothing. Not even from Hans Riemer, the author of the sidewalk shoveling law that cost taxpayers $6,458,000.

Imagine, public servants (although they seem to think that means we serve them) intentionally ignoring dangerous blocked sidewalks that put their constituents - including children, seniors and the disabled - at risk. All the while claiming they are taking mucho acción on pedestrian safety. It's beyond the pale. Yet, you've witnessed it here, thanks to my ongoing coverage of this scandal.

Is this what Councilmember George Leventhal means by "Government that works"? Not surprisingly, no current member of the Council lives in Bethesda.

"It's outrageous"

MoCo Councilmembers drive past blocked Bethesda sidewalks, take no action (Photos)

If you've been a pedestrian trying to walk around Montgomery County since the blizzard ended 19 days ago, you know that the County's vaunted 2014 sidewalk shoveling law has failed miserably. But did you know the Montgomery County Councilmembers who passed it passed by some of those offending snowdrifts and did nothing?

County Council  disembarks
from Ride On bus, directly
across Westbard Avenue from
uncleared sidewalks fronting
MCPS and MoCo-owned
property

Thanks to the County Planning Department, we know that the Council toured Westbard Avenue on February 5, driving past illegally-uncleared sidewalks along that street - including sidewalks that are the responsibility of Montgomery County, and Montgomery County Public Schools. They were touring the Westbard "sector" ahead of worksessions on the Westbard sector plan.

Yet, days later, the sidewalks were still blocked!

Which theory do you prefer - that the Council saw the sidewalks and failed to act on behalf of their constituents? Or that they were asleep or in a fog while taking the tour, and thereby missed the snowdrifts - and all of the important information planners were sharing about the Westbard area?

Aboard the bus was the law's primary sponsor, Councilmember Hans Riemer, who took several election year victory laps after its passage in the local media, just days before the election. The problem is, the law has been a catastrophic failure.

And to think the law only cost taxpayers $6,458,000 according to the now-defunct Gazette newspaper. Whoops.

Here is a photo sent in by a Sumner resident, showing a dangerous situation where Westbard Avenue meets Massachusetts Avenue about a week after the blizzard ended. Two small children wait to cross the street atop a massive snowdrift where the sidewalk should be, as cars rush by.

Two children stand on a
snowdrift where a sidewalk
should be at the corner of
Massachusetts Avenue
and Fort Sumner Drive,
where Westbard meets
Massachusetts Avenue

Zoomed-in view:
Does this look
safe to you?

Unshoveled sidewalks suggest MoCo Government isn't ready for a supersized Westbard

Blocked sidewalk at Ridgefield
and River Roads in Bethesda

Snow blockades on sidewalks in the Westbard area - more than two weeks after snow stopped falling - suggest Montgomery County Government is unable to handle tasks and enforcement of laws in that area of Bethesda now. How, then, will it perform if 5000 additional people are added to the neighborhood?

In addition to the spots I reported on yesterday, there are additional blockades on sidewalks along Westbard Avenue as of last evening: in front of the Westwood Tower apartments, near the Westbard Circle intersection with Westbard Avenue across from the Park Bethesda, and several spots alongside Montgomery County Public Schools property between Westbard Circle and Massachusetts Avenue.

These and other blocked sidewalks across the County indicate that County Councilmember Hans Riemer's sidewalk-clearing law has been a complete bust. It's not being enforced, and we're getting the same dangerous results this time as pedestrians are forced to enter the roadway into oncoming traffic.

Riemer took an unwarranted election year victory lap after passage of his law, as local media sycophants cheered him on. According to a Gazette (much missed - not!) report at the time, "the legislation seeks to ensure sidewalks are passable after storms and should improve how the county fulfills the intent of its law requiring snow removal, bill sponsor Councilman Hans Riemer said." 

"'The goal of this bill is to make our county more walkable in every season,' Riemer (D-At Large) of Takoma Park said."

I would not describe sidewalks in the Westbard area as "walkable" today. And most definitely not wheelchair-accessible.

Cost of Riemer's law, the public education component that would magically move property owners to obey it, and the County implementation of it? $6,458,000, according to the Gazette.

If the County and MCPS can't get the small things done now with regards to Westbard, what faith should anyone have in their promises for a supersized, urbanized Westbard with over 5000 more people in it?

Uncleared sidewalks in Westbard area of Bethesda

Several corners and crosswalks remained blocked by mounds of snow on Ridgefield Road and Westbard Avenue. They include the west side corners at Ridgefield and River Road and Ridgefield and Westbard, both in front of the vacant Manor Care nursing home.

The former spot is pictured above. Along the grass to the left of the curb cut and snow pile, where you might think able-bodied people could at least walk around it, is actually a deep gash in the lawn that makes it unsafe to traverse. It might have been created by truck trying to make the difficult turn there (but don't tell Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson that, he says it's no big deal). Of course, if you're in a wheelchair, you can't access this sidewalk at all from the crosswalk.

The sidewalk along Ridgefield on the Westwood Center II side is fully cleared between River and Westbard.

An entire stretch of sidewalk along Westbard remains uncleared between Ridgefield and the Westwood Shopping Center property. On the other side of the driveway entrance into the shopping center (below the staircase that leads down to Westbard Avenue), another large mound blocks full access to the otherwise-cleared sidewalk behind the shopping center.

Snow stopped falling around 8:00 PM on January 23 - two weeks before this photo was taken. Once again, Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer's vaunted sidewalk shoveling law has failed.

MISSED A SPOT (PHOTOS)

The much-vaunted Hans Riemer Magic Snowblower (a.k.a. October 2014 Montgomery County Snow Removal Law) didn't make it to this sidewalk near the flagpole at Woodmont Avenue and Leland Street, a block from Bethesda Row. This was the condition of the sidewalk Sunday afternoon, a full five days after snow stopped falling. Just one example in Montgomery County, which makes pedestrian travel difficult for those trying to reach downtown Bethesda from the Sacks neighborhood, and from the multifamily-housing communities across Bradley Boulevard.

UNSHOVELED SIDEWALKS IN WHITE FLINT (PHOTOS) - BETHESDA SNOW REMOVAL

We've seen some of the dangerous sidewalks in downtown Bethesda, and along River Road. Here are some of this past week's biggest offenders in White Flint. There's some discussion of new plans and new rules, but it would seem to me that the rules are quite clear: residential and business property owners (and WMATA and government) are responsible for clearing their respective sidewalks. If it is not done, they are in violation of existing law. It would seem inappropriate for taxpayers to pick up the tab for some property owners' snow removal, while still being forced to clear their own residential and business sidewalks at their own expense and/or labor.

This was the most dangerous sidewalk situation I can recall. In numerous cases, pedestrians were walking head on into oncoming traffic in the roadway. If bus stops were even accessible, passengers were forced to climb snow drifts in between the stop and curb, to board or disembark. And this was many days later, not immediately following the storm.

You made it to the bus stop,
but getting to the bus
won't be easy once it
arrives

Fail

What good is a crosswalk if
there's nothing to cross to?

Better snow conditions
than Sochi