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Hoyarugby OP t1_ja8cuuy wrote

Really maddening article about the state of sidewalks. Kenney ran on a promise to improve sidewalks and yet did very little on the issue

Particularly moving is a video shot from the perspective of somebody commuting to work at Jefferson hospital via wheelchair - the woman who got paralyzed from a stray bullet at Hancock Park in Fishtown last year. Even little stuff like a hose across the sidewalk left by a construction crew can block the sidewalk for somebody in a wheelchair, and force them to go into the street to get around obstacles

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Vague_Disclosure t1_ja8s9eu wrote

Kenney ran on a promise to improve sidewalks and yet did very little on the issue, pretty much describes his entire term

But a little less snarky and more on topic, I personally didn't realize how bad of shape the sidewalks are in until I started pushing a stroller around. Contractor's who close off sidewalks without the pedestrian chute should be fined out of existence.

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CoffeeCrisis t1_jaa44h6 wrote

I don't understand how almost every single work site I see completely commandeers sidewalks without any repercussions. I'm not even surprised when I see it. Can't the city hire a single person to go around fining the shit out of people?

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all_akimbo t1_jab1t7u wrote

I had 36 email chain with my council person who brought in someone senior at the streets department (maybe head engineer?) about this on my block. The dude even came to see it and said “I gave them a hard time and told them not to block the sidewalk anymore”. Reader, you will be shocked to learn that nothing changed.

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craftyangie t1_jab5b5w wrote

Same here. I for weeks I begged to anyone listening to please ask a construction company, to not force children (going to a k-8 school) to go through an active construction zone. Took about 2 weeks for anyone to do anything…but the construction guys are still parking their trucks blocking the crosswalks completely. Once they left about 12” for kids, strollers and handicapped to get through (the other sidewalk was closed off for construction)! Near my work that company insists on blocking the crosswalk to my building, plus both of our exits are constantly blocked off by construction vehicles, equipment and materials (both for new and waste). They’ve expanded well beyond their “110 feet” of sidewalk, according to the permit, it’s disgusting (because of the waste) and dangerous (because peds and cyclists don’t know what to do). The city would make so much money going around and fining them; but no one thinks it’s wrong until someone dies.

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all_akimbo t1_jab70fk wrote

I think everyone on both the political and administrative side of things here has an extremely apologetic attitude towards things like blocking sidewalks, intersections, etc..

10

CoffeeCrisis t1_jabfyno wrote

😂it's almost like shitty contractors will only listen to heavy fines

4

bigL162 t1_jaeld7y wrote

>Can't the city hire a single person to go around fining the shit out of people?

I think that's the problem, they legit have 4 inspectors assigned to right of way issues for the entire city. The odds of being flagged by one of them is probably similar to the odds of playing the lottery and losing.

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CoffeeCrisis t1_jaenl4s wrote

That doesn't make any sense, these dudes would pay for themselves in like a day of working

2

Zhuul t1_ja93hnh wrote

I used a cart to pick up a catering order for my office and damn near rattled my teeth out of my skull, the sidewalks in center city are shockingly bad in spots

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DuvalHeart t1_jacjkkt wrote

The city should just fix them and bill the property owners. If they don't pay put a lein on the property. Problem solved.

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Hoyarugby OP t1_ja9hnhl wrote

To my shame it's something that I never really thought about, the video they posted was extremely eye opening

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Vague_Disclosure t1_ja9tw6q wrote

eh, nothing shameful about not understanding something if you haven't experienced it, especially something as seemingly trivial as a sidewalk

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apricot57 t1_ja9xmxo wrote

Not something I thought about much until I started nursing and was exposed to way more people who used wheelchairs/walkers/canes to move. It's really horrendous.

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cashonlyplz t1_ja9oxyr wrote

>Contractor's who close off sidewalks without the pedestrian chute should be fined out of existence.

Hear, hear. at the very least be properly marked at eye level -- I feel like even that's only happening ~30% of the time.

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sharksnack3264 t1_ja9yin6 wrote

Yeah, even if you're not on wheels but are relying on a cane or crutches or a walking boot they can be really treacherous in places. Nearly wiped out a couple of times last year when I broke my foot.

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spleenboggler t1_jabcbqm wrote

I'll never forget when I was walking my then-infant daughter, we stopped near a building site, and then moments later watched those guys heave some debris out the third floor window and onto the sidewalk, where we would have been.

I started yelling at those guys, saying that we were right here, and they could have hurt us both. I couple of "sorry"s and "my fault"s from them, and then some guy started in about how it was a building site, and we should have known and shouldn't be near it, and man, let's just say it was good that my daughter was pre-verbal.

7

kilometr t1_ja8tec3 wrote

All Kenney did really was get rid of people parking on the sidewalk around city hall.

I think a really easy solution would be to remove the ticket requirement for towing cars on the sidewalk. I think if they loosened it to covering cars blocking ramps and other requirements like they used to tow companies may take advantage and go back to their scummy ways. But parking on the sidewalk is so cut and dry and think removing the ticket requirement would be an easy fix.

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TheTwoOneFive t1_ja9358k wrote

I don't think they should have ever put in the ticket requirement for tow companies, but instead start charging them with crimes if caught faking a reason to tow a car (e.g. moving it to a towable spot, the tow truck driver who hid the sign at Broad & Ellsworth construction to tow a car that was then parked there, etc).

Charge a tow truck driver who does a purposely bad tow with grand theft auto and the tow company with extortion (forcing someone to pay if they want their illegally towed car back), and you'll see bad tows evaporate.

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BureaucraticHotboi t1_jaalxoi wrote

The irony of the tow truck issue is that we got the ticket requirement solely because Johnny Doc got his car towed by a Lew Blum truck and decided to tell Bobby Henon to destroy the industry.

Now I don’t really have any sympathy for the tow companies because they are such bad actors. but that legislation was built out of personal animus and not to help fix much if anything

8

cerialthriller t1_ja8v4jr wrote

And people putting trees on sidewalks that are too small. My mother in law can’t even fit her walker between the trees and porches on her block and the city won’t make them move and remove the tree, she has to squeeze between cars and go into the street to get to the corner store

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SonnyBlackandRed t1_ja94oz2 wrote

Guess you didn't hear about a little things called Covid. /s

That's his excuse for everything gone wrong under him as Mayor.

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MagnusUnda t1_ja95mi1 wrote

This piece made my blood boil. I am glad it got front page placement.

9

FrankGrimesApartment t1_jab3kgt wrote

All Kenney has to do is walk outside his building. Old City sidewalks are a hot mess around there.

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Five2one521 t1_jac3d75 wrote

Politicians never have to make good on their promises. It’s all about getting elected/re-elected.

2

AbsentEmpire t1_ja8nbhv wrote

The city lost an ADA lawsuit over the state of the sidewalks and they point blank still refuse to do anything about enforcement.

No enforcement for poorly maintained sidewalks, no enforcement or illegally parking on sidewalks, and no enforcement for illegally parking and blocking crosswalks and intersections.

It's a fucking joke.

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Manowaffle t1_jaa6vyb wrote

Blocking the crosswalks is particularly rampant, blatant, and crazy. Now the pedestrian has to walk into traffic to get in front of a driver who cannot see them, to cross the street.

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yasabi t1_jaabywx wrote

Drivers who do this should have their tires slashed, bet they'll quit that shit real quick.

14

electric_creamsicle t1_jaaw1xf wrote

It's dangerous for drivers too even if there are no pedestrians. So many intersections around the city where you need to inch into the intersection just to see if there's a car coming.

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just_start_doing_it t1_jadml6e wrote

There are a lot of things the city and mayor can’t or are very hard to do (logistically, resources, etc). Cracking down on blocking crosswalks and parking in the sidewalk are not one of them

2

electric_creamsicle t1_jaavvla wrote

And yet my girlfriend's legally parked car got a ticket in Fairmount for being a month late on emissions inspection. Meanwhile every single corner in Fairmount has illegally parked cars near the corners that make it impossible to see at intersections and I've never seen a single ticket on those cars. Law enforcement in this city makes no sense.

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spleenboggler t1_jabcuxj wrote

She should have parked on an unregulated street.

When I lived in that neighborhood a few years ago, there was a car with NJ tags on the unregulated part of 20th Street, between Mt. Vernon and Wallace streets. I don't know why I noticed it, but sometime in the late winter I saw it was crusted over with leaves. And then I saw that the registration had expired about six months prior.

I wanted the parking space, so I called 611, nothing. I used the city web portal, nothing. And then one morning, I saw a PPA guy walking down the street and I stopped him and told him about this, and I'll never forget his response:

"That's not my responsibility."

I think the car finally moved when the city resurfaced the road later that year.

3

electric_creamsicle t1_jackk17 wrote

Oh she deserved the ticket. My point is that it's wild she somehow got a ticket when there are dozens of cars parked constantly putting people in danger and they don't ticket those.

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BadDesignMakesMeSad t1_jaayvpc wrote

This is why the city government is responsible for sidewalk maintenance in most other places.

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coastercities t1_jaaf5my wrote

I wonder if they spend less money on settling suits over this than they would have to on actual projects, i.e. it’s an intentional choice

3

Edison_Ruggles t1_ja8kwce wrote

You know, ticketing and towing cars that park on the sidewalks would raise about $21M in a week... I exaggerate, but still...

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GenericUsername_71 t1_ja8m3zh wrote

Ticketing and towing cars plus actual traffic enforcement? We’d have free healthcare, free rent, free food, free internet, and a stipend each month

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saintofhate t1_ja8me1v wrote

Problem is all that money collected by PPA would just go to the rural areas and not us because the PPA isn't a Philly company.

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Fattom23 t1_ja8qbkm wrote

Police can ticket cars, too. They just choose to pretend they don't see the problem.

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gigibuffoon t1_jaagml2 wrote

The cops are punishing us for demanding accountability... they're not gonna do squat until they're allowed to do their thing with impunity

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Fattom23 t1_ja8gijm wrote

>In an interview, Gym blamed the administration’s lack of enforcement. “The situation has gotten completely out of control,” she complained.

This is the story of 2023 Philadelphia in one paragraph.

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Hoyarugby OP t1_ja8q3uy wrote

The next mayor needs to immediately fire the people who run Streets they are so bad at their jobs and do not care. A do nothing administration appoints leaders who do nothing

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RoughRhinos t1_ja9e9mo wrote

For all the hate Gym gets on Reddit at least she put legislation out to try to fix the situation. Not saying she is perfect but should get called out when she does stuff well.

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Fattom23 t1_ja9j36q wrote

She's not the guilty party here (she called out the situation, at least). Do you have any info about her legislative solution?

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RoughRhinos t1_jaa3ui5 wrote

Since developers sometimes have no choice but to occupy the sidewalk during construction, Councilmember Helen Gym sponsored a bill in 2017 aimed at encouraging more of them to install covered walkways. Developers who provide those structures can reduce their sidewalk fees significantly. But there have been few takers, partly because the fees are set relatively low.

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gigibuffoon t1_jaairye wrote

>But there have been few takers, partly because the fees are set relatively low.

Probably because it is the developers who lobbied to write the bill like it is done now

3

kilometr t1_ja8tx4j wrote

I think the ticket requirement should be made exempt for cars parked on the sidewalk. Maybe even try like a one-month period of it to see what happens. It’s such a black and white violation that a ticket isn’t necessary.

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MagnusUnda t1_ja95hev wrote

Towing companies could just take photographs or videos of the cars They’re about to tow, and the tickets can be issued retroactively. If all we are trying to do is prevent towing company crime, they can document themselves out of liability.

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kilometr t1_ja95p49 wrote

Towing companies though have been caught doing scummy things in the past, like putting up signs after a car is parked. I guess the fear would be them towing a car onto the sidewalk, then taking a photo.

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ParallelPeterParker t1_ja8owsd wrote

A lot of contractors don't have what I think are called sidewalk closure permits but effectively close the sidewalk anyway. In those cases, I think you need to offer up a ped walkway. It's even more infuriating when either the safest route is through multiple lights and/or the other side is closed as well.

Yes, in theory, one could "wheel" around it (and an entire city block) without issue (making assumptions about other sidewalks being fine), but in reality, we really need the streets dept. to be more robust, responsive and effective in making contractors responsible to our city's most vulnerable.

Just other pet peeves that drive me bonkers:

  1. Cars parked in their "driveway" with a garage but the garage is full of shit so the car is parked in front and still blocks the entire sidewalk.
  2. Cars parked senselessly on the crosswalks. I'm a pretty forgiving guy, but like, try to get both axels in front of it (this is the PPA's standard for the arrows, you gotta have both axels in front).
  3. Bike Lane parkers. I know they have 20 minutes, but every ride home from work at ~5pm down spruce features at least 8 cars. Traffic is usually forgiving tho.
  4. Double parking on 4 lane roads (Like Broad)
  5. Just contractors on wash ave. I get it, but that road is still not safe for anyone.
  6. Bonus parking pet peeve: Dudes in large pickups (at least F150s) who INSIST on backing into the dumbest fucking parking spots - usually in parking lots.
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Fattom23 t1_ja8qprr wrote

As far as I'm aware, that "they have 20 minutes" is both informal and bullshit.

Edit: I've subsequently been advised that the 20 minute rule is actually formal and bullshit. I apologize for the error.

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mistersausage t1_ja8r6my wrote

It is allowed. Philadelphia law says that a place that is signed "no parking" you have 20 or 30 min before you can get a ticket. There are some exceptions, like you can't do this in front of a driveway (even your own driveway for 5 min while unloading groceries...got a ticket that way).

No stopping signs mean no stopping at all. No standing means you can stop to let people off, but it effectively means you can stay as long as you want so long as you are in the car.

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Fattom23 t1_ja8t94n wrote

I stand corrected. That's a truly horrible law; a bike lane is not at all safe if you have to leave it to get around cars stopped in it. That's how that 3 year old in Chicago got killed.

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mistersausage t1_ja9aln4 wrote

It's 20 min not 30. Section 12-913-1-c-2 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-285267

Well right after it says you can't park in a designated bicycle lane, but if there are no parking signs at the bike lane, who knows whether b or c applies. That's probably the confusion.

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Fattom23 t1_ja9k78n wrote

But it also seems that parking, stopping and standing are separate legal concepts and the statute only prohibits parking there. I rarely see someone park, shut off the engine and then leave the car in a bike lane. So most have them haven't technically "parked".

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mistersausage t1_jaajvqp wrote

If parking is allowed, standing and stopping are also always allowed. Parking is a superset.

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ParallelPeterParker t1_ja8xi1p wrote

TIL

Just to add, I wonder how many average philadelphians (or pennsylvanians) understand that verbiage?

2

ParallelPeterParker t1_ja8tiau wrote

My understanding is, by state law, one cannot park (or stop) in a travel lane, but bike lanes are not considered travel lanes and thus state law is sorta silent.

Under Phila ordinance, § 12-913(1)(c)(2) you can park there for the stated 20 minutes. Coincidently, Pittsburgh just changed this not to long ago to "fix the glitch."

All to say, City Council can fix this in like 3 months - they just refuse to.

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mistersausage t1_ja9cbgv wrote

c3 says you cannot park in dedicated bicycle lanes right after. So which applies if it's a bike lane that also has no parking signs?

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ParallelPeterParker t1_jaa2048 wrote

The 20 min rule. See the other poster above who explained stopping vs standing vs parking.

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mistersausage t1_jaajsno wrote

I am the other poster, but I am second guessing my conclusion based on c in that subsection. Regardless, PPA enforces it with the 20 min rule, so you get more than that because they have to scan your plate twice more than 20 min apart.

2

sarahpullin8 t1_ja8cs03 wrote

It’s not just the sidewalks that’s a problem. It’s the cars parked on the sidewalk

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MRichards18 t1_ja969if wrote

Truly not sure what we pay taxes for…

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bigassbiddy t1_jaajq6m wrote

lol the fact that people are surprised by this headline is… surprising.

We pay one of the highest income taxes in the nation and get the shittiest city services. Best deal ever 🫰

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SnooOwls7978 t1_ja9b26b wrote

The state of the sidewalks and streets right now is deplorable. It is a damn American Ninja Warrior course out there, even for an able-bodied individual, not to mention all the strange scents and dust clouds you encounter at face level along the way. Didn't a brick fall off some neglected building and critically maim some woman downtown the other week? Your usual shit-smears all along the way, too, not that the city can do much about dog doo...

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shnoogle111 t1_ja8m18h wrote

Cars parked on sidewalk are like raisins in a chocolate chip cookie, just not the place for them

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zpepsin t1_ja8ns2q wrote

Cars parked on sidewalk are like raisins in a chocolate chip cookie, just not the place for them, I don't want any

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adwvn t1_ja8pbox wrote

Mark Squilla's office acts like I'm the only person in town that complains to him about obstructed sidewalks. Then tries to convince me that he's powerless to do anything.

Also what happened to the proposal to increase the fine to $300 for parking on the sidewalk? It had some type of preliminary approval the last time I heard about it.

We need a citizen reporting app for these violations, allowing citizens to collect a bounty.

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PurpleWhiteOut t1_ja9fo72 wrote

The literal people who have power and claiming they have no power, name a more iconic Philly duo

15

Vexithan t1_ja8obkx wrote

Its insane that I haven’t been to one area of the city that has decent sidewalks excepts maybe parts of Chestnut Hill. Maddening to try and take my son in a stroller anywhere

20

Wordnerdinthecity t1_ja8q6gu wrote

Much of center city is decent to even good. There's a few glitchy spots (missing/perilously steep curb cuts in places, construction in others). And of course the problem of vehicles parking on sidewalks/blocking curb cuts/crosswalks.

6

Vexithan t1_ja8xzwr wrote

I’ve never wished I had magneto’s powers until I moved here and needed to walk into traffic to push my son in a stroller because 17 jackasses parked in a row on the sidewalk

7

beingboring t1_ja9v1qp wrote

Only along Germantown ave - as soon as you get into residential parts of CH, the sidewalks are terrible. I think the best term is "suicidewalks."

3

davenowood01 t1_ja8stnr wrote

Lol I ate shit last night in Manyunk on my bicycle after crashing because of a poorly maintained curb.

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sneeze-slayer t1_jaal13c wrote

NYC has a law that diesel engines can't idle for more than three minutes. If you are caught idling for longer, it's a rather large fine. The problem is so widespread there that the path they took is that civilians who submit video clips (3+mins of idling with a shot of plates) get a cut of the fine. If Philadelphia were to do something like this with these grevious parking infractions I guarantee they would plummet.

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kingerthethird t1_jab62h0 wrote

I kinda like the idea of ticket bounties.

I doubt your every day citizen is going to go out of their way to, for lack of a better term, police infractions (sure, you'll always have "that guy"), they would likely just get the people really causing issues. Plus, just build the price of the bounty into the fine...

2

sneeze-slayer t1_jacfu2u wrote

I think the reports in New York get 25% or so of the fine levied on offenders.

1

snooloosey t1_ja9c0sy wrote

my mom tripped and hurt herself on a sidewalk here just yesterday

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ScoutG t1_ja9rmao wrote

Kenney ran on this and dropped the ball, but there are a lot of other officials who could and should be doing something. It’s inexcusable.

6

NoREEEEEEtilBrooklyn t1_jaaifvr wrote

As bad as sidewalks are in center city, holy fuck they are worse in the outer parts of the city. Anyone who has walked in Roxborough knows the struggle of walking vertically because a tree has pushed the sidewalk up to a 45° angle.

6

squirreltalk t1_jaaoutx wrote

Oh look, another problem exacerbated by car culture. Fuck cars.

6

ScoutG t1_ja9s71i wrote

It’s really bad in the area near Jefferson and Wills Eye, where a lot of less-mobile people are trying to get to medical appointments.

5

TechSquidTV t1_ja9xwrm wrote

Get your cars off the sidewalks and crosswalks!

5

bukkakedebeppo t1_jaa34jy wrote

Just the other day I was shocked and amazed to see a Jersey-barrier walkway erected next to a sidewalk that was closed down due to construction. It reminded me of how on top of that sort of thing they are in NYC.

Then I ran into a corner with two of the sidewalks just straight-up closed, and remembered where I was.

5

Squarewheelsbebetter t1_jaa7xwb wrote

Contractors that I have seen working on sidewalks and roads in Philly are clueless. Not getting compaction before they do work and also poor back fill material. The pot holes in Philly are worse than the side walks. Hold the contractors and developers respondsible for shitty work!

Example: When cutting a trench for an apartment tie in (The Royal) on Ridge ave and Livezey st they just cut the trench straight down did their work and did not back fill the hole correctly, shitty back fill material and no compaction. Instead of grinding away the asphalt on the edge of the trench so that there was a overlap between the existing asphalt and new asphalt they just said fuck it and filled in the clean cut trench, easy for water to get in and create a massive pothole. Which has happened.

How are these contractors still in business? Lol who knows maybe the city is doing the tie ins and back fill work and turning the road into a Mario Kart course.

You want to see good roads and sidewalks? Go to Calgary, AB those contractors and the city do it right and with less money

5

jaredcwood t1_jac5r42 wrote

Let’s not forget all of the cars that park in front of sidewalk ramps.

5

datruesurfer t1_ja9s654 wrote

L&I does not enforce the terms of the sidewalk closure permits issued by the streets department. My neighbors and I went literally years with a big stretch of sidewalk on our block closed with expired permits and no protected pedestrian walkway in the street. 311 is not very helpful either, all complaints go to straight to the district L&I office who closes the ticket without even visiting the work site. I have to email my councilman, the acting director of L&I and the director of code enforcement for L&I for any violations to be written.

All Philadelphians deserve better.

3

SouthPhilly_215 t1_jabbxtt wrote

Pedestrians also suck… Oblivious ass people with airpods and in their phone just walkin out into the street diagonally mid-block like its the development they moved here from…

−6

Jlaybythebay t1_ja8h9v9 wrote

Sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner that that sidewalk is in front of, not the city’s

−31

Little_Noodles t1_ja8llpa wrote

And whose job is it to make sure that property owners are maintaining sidewalks and sidewalk access ?

38

DuvalHeart t1_ja926le wrote

This isn't about maintenance, it's about construction projects closing sidewalks and not providing a safe alternative.

That said, PA should really change that law, because it's a stupid anti-pedestrian law. Local government should be responsible for all public right-of-ways, whether they're for motor vehicles or pedestrians.

17

saintofhate t1_ja8ml0v wrote

No shit. I can make my sidewalk fine but my neighbors don't bother and have literal holes in their crumbling ones that the city does nothing to make them fix.

10

Jlaybythebay t1_ja8ngeb wrote

Go trip on it, you can secure a nice payday

−19

saintofhate t1_ja8us2c wrote

Anything I got would be eaten by the medical costs. So not only would I be in more pain, I'd have to deal with insurance and have neighbors who hate me.

4

Jlaybythebay t1_ja8xojv wrote

That’s what an attorney is for.

−10

saintofhate t1_ja91goe wrote

I'm speaking from experience. My mum got into a major car accident 10 years ago, she got $600 after the medical bills were settled because Medicaid / Medicare did not cover her health care due to the lawsuit. And on top of that I had to fight with Medicare for the next 3 years to cover problems related to that accident that popped up.

6

ezen9925 t1_jaagl1x wrote

Ah so when PGW drove over the sidewalks and curbs on my block with an excavator, it’s my responsibility to repair them. That’s why they never came back to fix them.

2