The Commonwealth of Virginia should do its part in clearing snow from Commonwealth property. While it clears roadways, it refuses to accept responsibility for clearing sidewalks. One result is that pedestrians are forced to walk in the roadways, disrupting traffic and risking their lives. The Commonwealth's policy is in contrast to that of Fairfax County, which has a snow removal policy that includes sidewalks. This is in contrast to WMATA's practice, which is to remove snow from all its stations. This is in contrast to Copenhagen's practice, which is to clean sidewalks before or along with roadways. Finally, besides interfering with traffic, besides the risk to pedestrians, and besides the commercial impact, the Commonwealth's failure to clear snow presumably contributed to the announcement this afternoon by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) that it will remain closed the remainder of the week. According to the announcement, "numerous unclear sidewalks and bus stops" were factors in their decision. If the Commonwealth continues to refuse to do its part, the legislature should instruct them to do so. |
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