Tell Mayor Frey: We need better winter sidewalk maintenance!

Hey, Minneapolis! How are those winter sidewalks treating you these days?

With a whole lot of recent snow and ice, it’s been hard to get around on our sidewalks. Whether we’re walking, rolling, or using transit, we need our sidewalks to be better cleared of snow and ice, and in a much more timely way.

Our systems and norms are still prioritizing the movement of cars and trucks over people. We’re still clearing streets ahead of clearing sidewalks.

Let’s ask for some help from Mayor Frey. Please contact the Mayor and ask that winter sidewalks are prioritized in his next budget. It may seem like a long time away, but the 2020 budget priorities start getting discussed now. Let’s get ahead of it and let the Mayor know that we want investments in sidewalk clearing.

Here are some ways you can contact Mayor Frey:

• Call the Mayor’s office at 612-673-2100.
• Fill in this comment form on the Mayor’s web site.
• Tweet the Mayor.

Make your message polite and concise. Here’s an example:

“Mayor Frey, thank you for your past support of walking and rolling in Minneapolis. Please include significant investments for winter sidewalk maintenance in the 2020 budget.

[Include some ideas for what you'd like to see funded. Here are some ideas for what we'd like to see funded:

• • Tangible improvements in corner clearing
  • Increased help for people who aren’t able to clear their sidewalks
  • City resources for clearing sidewalks in a pedestrian priority network]

This is important to me because [give brief personal example here].”

Want to know the backstory on our Winter Sidewalk Maintenance campaign? Read up on our past blog posts on winter sidewalks:

Making Minneapolis Winters Walkable

Volunteers, City move winter sidewalk maintenance forward

Statement on enforcement as a sidewalk clearing strategy

What is proactive sidewalk inspection?