City, Pitt work together to combat slippery streets

It has been a cold, icy winter here in Pittsburgh – at least for the last few weeks.

And… It has been a cold, icy winter here in Pittsburgh – at least for the last few weeks.

And each year this weather brings with it numerous reports of students and other city residents slipping and falling on icy sidewalks.

In last week’s Pitt Police Blotter, three people in two days, including one police officer, slipped and fell on ice and required medical attention.

Anyone that has lived in the city of Pittsburgh for any period of time will be able to attest to the fact that winters here can be treacherous, and one of the season’s most dangerous pitfalls is ice on roads and sidewalks.

According to Pitt spokesman John Fedele, property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks outside their buildings.

Consequently, all owners are required by the authority of the street’s owner – either Pitt or Pittsburgh – to live up to this responsibility.

Fedele also pointed out that, because there is no way of perfectly predicting the weather, it is incredibly difficult for the University to pattern any official policy on snow and ice removal.

The University’s Property Management team, however, is sent to clear streets and sidewalks as soon as snow hits the ground.

The City of Pittsburgh’s director of Public Works, Guy Costa, said that the city’s policy as a whole is a similar one.

“City residents [including homes, offices, and businesses] are required to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours of the time that it stops snowing,” he said – or they are penalized.

A warning will be issued, followed by a citation, and if no action is taken by the property owner to clear the snow, the owner will be called in for a hearing to impose a fine.

“Our policy is to warn and then cite,” Costa explained.

As far as streets are concerned, many are owned by the City of Pittsburgh – including Fifth Avenue, Forbes Avenue, Bates Street and The Boulevard Of the Allies. Because of this, it is important that Pitt and the city Department of Public Works maintain a close, working relationship.

The two help each other when necessary, Costa said.

For example, if the city is unable because of other obligations to clear a certain campus street, the University will take on the job, and vice-versa.

“Pitt does a very good job, Duquesne is the same way,” Costa said.

It isn’t often that there are legal problems regarding roads or sidewalks, Costa said, because both the city and the University are very aggressive in their attempts to keep roadways clean.

Most of the calls the city deals with come from residents complaining about neighbors that don’t take responsibility for their own, snowy sections of sidewalk.