The Bucket Blog

[Note: Images from this story and more are available on Picasa Web Albums. Check out these one’s of the storm itself. Thumbnails will remain.]

Long, long ago, in a blog far, far away, I wrote about the curious Pawtucket habit of plowing snow from parking lots onto sidewalks. Last winter didn’t give me any opportunities to elaborate, but this winter will – early and often!

Everybody in the state of Rhode Island should give themselves an “F” for yesterday’s abysmal performance. News Flash: It snows in New England.

So today, we’re left to dig out. And if you’re a pedestrian, the danger begins.

Clearing sidewalks after it snows is required by law. But there is zero enforcement. It’s to the point where plow drivers think the sidewalk is where you pile the snow that’s inconveniencing the cars.

I totally get how Pawtucket is designed around the car, around parking. How’s that workin’ out for ya?

What follows is a gallery of photos I took on my second walk to my office via Pleasant. [Forgot my keys. What a maroon?] When I went back for my keys I dumped the photos of the George St route on my laptop. Will post later.

Enjoy.

• Reconnecting Pawtucket Ave with Division and Pleasant: The 4-Wheel Approach

• Division St Bridge, Eastbound Walkway

• Looking west up Division St – that pile’s about 4 ft

• The same pile, looking south on Pleasant.

• People should know that DoT is all over this bridge all the time. One of the workers cracked a joke about not walking under the bridge too many times. At least I hope it was a joke.

• Snow melt from I-95 streaming through a joint in the bridge. It falls directly on the sidewalk.

• These guys on Pleasant plow the parking lot into the sidewalk, but…

• …clear where they have to walk.

• Someone made an effort, but they got off track.

• I hope the photo shows how this is pile has been plowed onto an otherwise clear sidewalk. Thanks!

• Muse, thy name is “Apex.”

• Walking in the street in the heart of downtown.

• This plowman gets top marks for both execution and creativity – cutting deftly in between the sign (foreground) and the telephone pole to create valuable parking on an otherwise useless sidewalk.

• Here at the intersection of Main, East Ave and High St, I watched city workers shovel through the snowbanks at the wheelchair ramps. Yeah! Camera was full so I couldn’t take the shot until later when they were elsewhere doing other good stuff for us.

• At last, Main Street, where hot coffee awaits at Kafe Lila.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 14th, 2007 at 4:15 pm and is filed under Bridges, Downtown, Sidewalks, Snow. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.