For those that missed the Compass Piece from last week, It’s a brutal time for Anchorage pedestrians and bikers,  I thought I would re-circulate it and see how bicyclists and pedestrians are faring (you can comment on this article and let us know how your commute has been).  According to the Muni, cuts have not been made to the Maintenance Department this year. However, the Muni did note that when it snows less than 4 inches it would take up to 72 hours to clear all streets and sidewalks.  When it snows more than 4 inches the Muni uses all of its resources to plow streets and sidewalks within 48 hours. As the compass piece notes, however, it took several days to clear the last snowfall. Some of those roads were ADOT roads and some were Muni roads.

MONDAY, 8:44 A.M. — I rode my bike to work this morning. Now I am enraged. Tudor Road — sidewalks not plowed. Lake Otis — sidewalks not plowed. A Street between Sullivan Arena and downtown — sidewalks not plowed. Thursday was the last major snow, four full days ago. Do these streets sound familiar? Of course they do. They are some of the biggest, busiest streets in Anchorage. As a matter of fact, the sidewalks are beyond “not plowed.” They are a heap of black, chunky snow, which was shoved there by road plows, businesses plowing their parking lots, etc.

The comments to this article seem to bring out the worst in people, exacerbating the car versus bike debate. It isn’t about cars versus bikes. Nor is it about bikes paying taxes (the predominant number of bicyclists own cars too). Its about creating a livable city that recognizes the value of multiple modes of transportation and a city that acknowledges the multiple benefits of encouraging active transportation. I hope the next snowfall wont leave our sidewalks unusable for days on end. If you have unplowed sidewalks on your way to work, let the Muni or ADOT know. You can find their contact information on ourMaintenance page.