No Shoveling, Salting Needed As Heated Sidewalks In Oak Park Melts Snow Upon Contact
By Sabrina Franza
OAK PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- We all know how dangerous Chicago sidewalks can be after a snowstorm. Now, there's a push to get the city to plow the sidewalks, taking the task away from businesses and homeowners.
Nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition started by a transit advocacy group to ensure sidewalks are accessible by all.
While some advocates petition for the city to plow those pedestrian walkways, there's been a way to avoid all of that in one suburb, self-sufficient sidewalks that melt the snow on their own. CBS 2's Sabrina Franza went to Oak Park and stood on top of one of those.
This sidewalk is completely dry. There was no shoveling, no salting, nothing all because of electrical wiring underground that heats the sidewalk from beneath.
Business owners just let the snow and sidewalk do their thing.
"When it snows, any time it snows, there's nothing on the sidewalk," said Tina Salerno, co-owner of James Anthony Salons.
That's the dream. The melting is instantaneous. Take this snowball, throw it on the ground, and within seconds, it's gone.
"We're so grateful for it," Salerno said.
Tina Salerno runs a salon on Marion Street.
"One of the things that our guests rely on is that they know things are cleared in front of the salon," she said.
No snow means more business for her and her neighbors.
"A lot of pedestrians in this area here," said Abrahiam Effin, co-owner of Sugar Fixe.
Oak Park installed the technology in 2007. Projects like these are pricy.
"We budget $25,000 a year for that, which is about what we see on an average winter," said Oak Park Village Engineer Bill McKenna.
Here electric wiring melts the snow from underneath the concrete. There's also a gas-fed system.
"It's called a hydronic system," said John Fuks, co-owner of KTS Heating and Cooling.
With gas, the average driveway installation can run upwards of $30,000 with a 15% increase on your gas bill.
"It pumps antifreeze into tubing which is inside of the concrete," Fuks said.
The village pays the bills but where there isn't heated sidewalk, the responsibility lands on the storefront.
Sabrina: Is something like that a solution to shoveling in the Chicago area?
Bill: It could be.
Oak Park isn't the only place in the Chicago area that has these heated sidewalks – in front of Willis Tower, you'll also notice there isn't any snow to shovel. There are a few zones in Oak Park that have stopped working – the village voted not to fix them because of the cost.