Government of the District of Columbia
DC Department of Public Works

Testimony of
William O. Howland Jr.
Director

Public Hearing
Department of Public Works
BILL 19-016 THE WINTER SIDEWALK SAFETY
AMENDMENT ACT OF 2011

February 9, 2011

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION
Tommy Wells, Chairperson
John A. Wilson Building
Room 412
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 10 am

Good morning, Chairman Wells, members of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, and staff. I am William O. Howland Jr., Director of the Department of Public Works. Thank you for this opportunity to testify in support of Bill 19-016, the “Winter Sidewalk Safety Amendment Act of 2011.”

The Department of Public Works has two operations relevant to this bill: snow and ice removal and sanitation enforcement. Removing snow and ice has a critical impact on public safety, and sanitation enforcement supports public health. Both are vital to the well-being of District residents, commuters and visitors.

While achieving passable sidewalks following a snow event is the goal of Bill 19-016, it poses a resource allocation dilemma for all of the involved agencies.

For DPW and DDOT, snow removal from roadways becomes our first priority during a snow event, and we pull employees from other positions to handle these duties. DPW and DDOT employees are the backbone of the District’s Snow and Ice Control Program, providing over 95% of the drivers who treat the streets during a full-deployment snow event.

Many of our sanitation enforcement officers are among the drivers assigned to treat residential routes. Other DPW sanitation enforcement employees perform critical administrative functions to support our drivers during snow events. These employees often continue to perform snow-removal related work for several days after a snowfall. During this period, they would not be available to conduct enforcement activities.

DDOT personnel who are trained and authorized to write tickets are reassigned to drive snow plows. For MPD, the workload during and after a significant snow event usually increases. Police officers are stationed at downed wires and on roadways to direct traffic around fallen trees and malfunctioning lights. Thus, each of the agencies that would be authorized to enforce this legislation also will be addressing other pressing public safety needs.

Therefore, DPW and the other agencies will continue to emphasize the role of public education in our effort to encourage property owners to clear the sidewalks and curb cuts surrounding their property.

Since 2007, we have conducted an active campaign through the neighborhood listservs to alert residents to the importance of clearing their sidewalks. And we are seeing more and more residents come together to form sidewalk clearing groups. This year, for instance, neighborhood groups with successful shoveling teams are sharing their experience and expertise with other neighborhoods.

DPW and DDOT joined forces to conduct a campaign using this poster as a reminder of the hazards faced by pedestrians when forced to walk in the street. Advertisements highlighting the responsibility for sidewalk snow removal were put up in District bus shelters this month. In addition, we have asked the media to assist us with getting the word out.

I also use my presentations at community meetings to make the case for voluntary sidewalk clearing. I ask residents to be especially mindful of their elderly and disabled neighbors who cannot shovel themselves, yet need to have clear sidewalks to reach their destination.

Also, as part of their normal work with commercial property owners, our sanitation enforcement officers educate them about clearing their sidewalks. We are seeing more of these sidewalks cleared.

The Executive recognizes that there are times when more is needed. To this end, the Executive would like to suggest several changes that it believes will improve the bill. First, the existing law says that sidewalks should be cleared within 8 hours of daylight after a snowfall ends. The Executive recommends changing this to require sidewalks to be cleared within 24 hours after a snowfall ends. In addition, the fine for failing to clear the sidewalk should be high enough to serve as a deterrent. The Executive suggests using the fine structure currently in place for violations of the Litter Control Administration Act. For residential properties, those fines start at $75 (increasing to $1,000 for a fourth repeat violation). For commercial properties, those fines start at $150 (increasing to $2,000 for a fourth repeat violation).

Also, we are working with the Attorney General’s office to identify changes that would improve implementation of this bill. We would like the opportunity to provide you with any additional recommendations that develop as a result of that effort.

The District takes pride in its neighborhoods where residents live within walking distance of work, restaurants, retail, and entertainment venues. Regardless of where people live, however, we want sidewalks to be passable within 24 hours of the end of a snowfall.

Thank you very much for this opportunity to testify on Bill 19-016. I am ready to answer your questions.