Let’s all work together to clear sidewalks this winter

I’m an outdoor runner. 

There’s something about having traveled from point A to point B in so much time that gives me a feeling of accomplishment that can’t be matched by 40 minutes on a treadmill at the gym. Normally, I don’t have any problem running to my heart’s content, but when winter comes, most neighborhoods become inaccessible to walking and running. This is because many don’t bother shoveling their walkways. 

I’d like to say the solution to this issue is simple: shovel your sidewalks! But it isn’t, because there are two main reasons why people don’t shovel their walkway:  A.) They aren’t physically fit enough to carry shovel after shovel full of snow or; B.) They do shovel, but because they live near a major street, plow trucks knock huge chunks of ice and snow right onto their clean sidewalk. 

These issues can be hard to resolve on an individual level, but if a neighborhood, city or community comes together, they can be solved easily. On a local level, I propose that students here at Edinboro give back to the community by helping out our neighbors who might be unable to keep up their sidewalks. At a local government level, I propose that plow trucks make more of an effort to push snow away from sidewalks and walkways. The chunks of ice and snow can be very heavy to lift, if not to some extent dangerous. 

Let’s make the outdoors accessible year round, while also giving back to the community we call home. 

Shayma Musa can be reached at voices.spectator@gmail.com.

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