Photo: Jim MacKay/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — After heavy snowfall over the past weeks, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced that officials had issued over 1,200 citations this week alone to property owners failing to clear out their sidewalks of snow and ice.
The citations come after a surge in falls from slipping on ice have been reported around Boston. The announcement was made during an emergency preparedness meeting, where Wu stated homeowners are responsible for clearing sidewalks both on and in front of their property.
Hospitals have been reporting a rise in broken arms, ankles, and rib injuries due to slick sidewalks.
“The city and public entities are responsible for clearing the roadways, and property owners are responsible for clearing the sidewalks in front of and on their property,” Mayor Wu said during the meeting. “We need to do a better job of this collectively.”
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Mayor Wu added that until the temperatures rise, the ice is here to stay.
Boston isn’t the only area getting hit with citations. Quincy, Somerville, and Cambridge have all faced a flow of citations.
Mayor Wu reminds residents that under City law, “ice must be removed within six hours after it forms, and snow should be shoveled within 12 hours after it stops falling.”