Mayor Brandon Johnson announces plan to test free sidewalk shoveling in four parts of Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a plan on Friday to test whether the city should take over responsibility for shoveling Chicago's sidewalks during winter storms.
The Johnson administration is recommending the City Council approve $1.1 million to $3.5 million in funding for a "Plow The Sidewalks" pilot program in four areas of the city during the winter of 2025-26.
The City Council would be asked to vote on the pilot program as part of the mayor's 2025 budget plan, which will come up for a vote in October or November.
"Chicago is a world-class city, and as a world-class city, it must be accessible for our seniors and individuals living with disabilities in the winter months during periods of heavy snow and ice," Johnson said in a news release. "Our Plow the Sidewalks pilot program is an example of how our administration is committed to addressing the needs of all Chicagoans, and today is an important step forward in building a safer city where no resident is left behind."
The Chicago Department of Transportation would oversee the program and enlist both city workers and private contractors to shovel sidewalks in four pilot zones whenever at least 2 inches of snow fell in the city within 24 hours.
The pilot program would last up to one full year or until the city deploys sidewalk shoveling services seven times per pilot zone.
Currently, city law requires homeowners and business owners to clear sidewalks of ice and snow after winter storms, but activists say the failure of many homeowners and business owners to clear and de-ice sidewalks traps people who use mobility aids, including wheelchairs and others who are elderly or disabled.
The City Council last year voted to create a working group of city officials to develop a pilot program to test the feasibility of having the city shovel sidewalks. The Johnson administration on Friday released the working group's report, including the proposed pilot program.
"We've seen other municipalities are already providing this service, and now Chicago is a step closer to joining them - this report showcases the practicality of implementing a pilot program that will allow us to identify challenging areas to focus on," said Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), who sponsored the ordinance creating the "Plow the Sidewalks" working group. "The end goal is to improve mobility citywide, especially for our seniors and members of the disability community."
The plan calls for testing a sidewalk shoveling program in four 1.5-square-mile zones in Chicago. Officials said approximately 500,000 Chicagoans live in those four zones.
On the North Side, the zone would include parts of the Uptown, Lincoln Square, and Ravenswood neighborhoods. It is bounded by Foster Avenue on the north, Marine Drive on the east, Montrose Avenue on the south, and Damen Avenue on the west.
On the West Side, the zone would cover parts of Austin and Belmont Cragin, bounded by Armitage Avenue on the north, Cicero Avenue on the east, Van Buren Street on the south, and Laramie Avenue on the West.
On the Southwest Side, the pilot zone would include parts of Gage Park, Brighton Park, Archer Heights, and West Elsdon. It would cover an area south of Archer Avenue between Lawndale and Kedzie Avenues and south of Archer Avenue and 43rd Street between Kedzie and California Avenue.
On the South Side, the zone would cover parts of Englewood, Washington Park, and Greater Grand Crossing, bounded by 59th Street on the north, State Street on the east, 67th Street on the South, and Racine Avenue on the West.
According to the working group's report, the four areas were chosen because they have high populations of seniors over age 65, children under age 5, people who rely on public transit, and people who are blind or have low vision, use mobility aids, or have other disabilities limiting their mobility.
In each of the four zones, crews would use multipurpose tractors, snowblowers, shovels, ice breakers, salt spreaders, and brooms to clear away snow and ice, depending on the specific conditions.
The city would test two methods of snow removal during the pilot program.
Under a "targeted residential" approach, crews would clear sidewalks on any block with residential properties with four or fewer units, while residential buildings with four or more units, commercial, industrial, and other non-residential buildings would keep responsibility for shoveling sidewalks. The city would also clear sidewalks for any vacant lots under this approach.
Under a "universal" approach, city crews and private contractors would plow all sidewalks in a given zone, regardless of property type. The Johnson administration recommends using the universal approach in the South and West zones and the targeted residential approach in the North and Southwest zones.
