Readers Write: It’s Time the City Takes Responsibility for Street Corners

Dear Editor,

After yesterday’s snowstorm, I’m once again overwhelmed by something that seems to never get fixed: the condition of our street corners. The plows do their job of clearing the streets but what they leave behind is a nightmare for anyone trying to walk. Mountains of gray, slushy snow are dumped right where pedestrians have to step, turning every crossing into a slippery obstacle course.

As a parent, this problem is especially hard. Picking up my children at the corner shouldn’t feel like a battle with the elements. Shoes, pants, and bags are coated in grime before we even make it home. 

It’s frustrating beyond words that the city doesn’t take responsibility for these areas. Clearing the streets isn’t enough if the corners, the very spots where people walk, are left in such unsafe and filthy conditions. Snowstorms are inevitable, but so is the city’s duty to maintain basic pedestrian safety and cleanliness.

The city needs to step up. This means not just pushing snow into corners but actually clearing them and making sure that families, the elderly, and all pedestrians can get around safely. Enough excuses—residents shouldn’t have to dodge sludge every winter. 

-A Frustrated Boro Park Resident