Grand Rapids Mayor LaGrand Wants Neighbors to Help Clear Snow

There are a few things you can count on during a West Michigan winter. Snow, complaints about said snow, and at least one heated debate about who is responsible for the snow pile at the end of the sidewalk.

This week, Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand posted a video to social media asking residents to step up in a small way to help out in a way that only neighbors can.

In the video, Mayor LaGrand acknowledges something we have all experienced. While, the city does a solid job plowing the streets. Crews work long hours and move fast when storms hit, and those plows push snow out of the roadway which often leaves behind a thick, heavy block of snow and ice at the end of sidewalks. (Especially at intersections.)

If you live on a corner lot, you probably get exhausted battling these tiny snow pack nightmares. Technically, it is the property owner’s responsibility to clear the sidewalk, including that dense, frozen ridge left behind. But plenty of people feel frustrated that they are the ones breaking their backs over snow that was pushed there by city equipment just doing its job.

So instead of arguing about it, the mayor is proposing something different. He is asking neighbors to “adopt an intersection.”

In the video he asks, if you are physically able and have the time, to take turns helping clear those packed down snow mounds at the corners. (Especially for neighbors who may not be able to tackle it themselves.) In the video, the mayor says he plans to adopt the intersection closest to his own home and help keep it clear himself.

The main focus is accessibility. Those snow piles are not just annoying, they can make it nearly impossible for someone using a wheelchair, pushing a stroller, or simply trying to walk safely to get through. And then when they freeze solid, they are not easy to chip away at.

The response online has been mixed, which is not surprising. Some commenters argue that tax dollars should already cover that level of cleanup. Others pointed out that in their neighborhoods, people with snowblowers or even small plows already help out simply because they can. And maybe that is the heart of it.

No, clearing the end of an intersection might not technically be your job. But there is something kind of beautiful about the idea of neighbors taking the extra few minutes to help each other out when we’re all stuck inside and miserable. Not because they have to. But, because they are able.

Maybe small acts like this are a reminder that we are still a community, even when we are arguing about snow piles on the internet. And if you have the strength to lift a shovel for someone else, that might be the best kind of winter win there is.