Fiscal Note
This ordinance change would apply to concrete bus stops located between a sidewalk and the road, and would require, at these locations only, that the snow, ice, and windrows be cleared to the nearest lane of travel to a width of five feet. All other requirements regarding snow and ice removal would remain the same. Metro Transit staff estimates that 200 to 300 of the 1,700 City of Madison bus stops currently have concrete pads mid-block.
Building Inspection enforcement of the proposed provision would be the same as for sidewalks, and handled on a complaint or referral basis. The Inspection Unit Director has indicated that Building Inspection would probably also issue warnings during the first year, while working to educate the public about the new requirement. While this change would not increase overall Building Inspection costs, management would have to redirect staff resources if the City experiences a moderate to heavy snowfall.
The Streets Division 2010 Operating Budget contains $50,000 to clear snow from bus stops. The charges for the last few winters have actually been higher, with about $84,000 already billed to Metro Transit in 2010. Streets plans to request an additional $50,000 of funding in 2011, for a new total of $100,000. If this ordinance change is enacted, there would remain numerous bus stops that would still have to be cleared by Streets crews. The Streets Superintendent would anticipate a reduction in billings to Metro Transit of about 18%, or between $9,000 and $18,000 per winter, depending upon the severity of the winter. These savings would be passed along to Metro Transit.
Title
Creating new Section 10.28(4) and renumbering current Section 10.28(3) to (4) of the Madison General Ordinances to define "sidewalk" to include bus stops.
Body
DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS: This ordinance creates new Subsection 10.28(4) of the Madison General Ordinances to expand the definition of "sidewalk" to include concrete pads that serve as bus stops, as well as a five foot wide path from the sidewalk to the pad and to the nearest lane of travel in the street. By expanding this definition, this ordinance will require adjacent property owners to remove all snow and ice from concrete bus stops and make a path, at least five feet wide and to the ground, from the sidewalk through the concrete pad and to the nearest lane of travel in the street. This will include a continuing obligation to remove all snow or ice that continues to accumulate in the street between the nearest lane of travel and the bus stop. The purpose of this amendment is to ensure that the bus stops are accessible to persons with disabilities during the winter.
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The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:
1. New Subsection (3) of Section 10.28 entitled "Snow and Ice to be Removed from Sidewalks" of the Madison General Ordinances is hereby created to read as follows:
"(3) For the purposes of this section only, "sidewalk" includes any concrete pad located between a sidewalk and a street, whether or not the pad is occupied by a bench and/or shelter, that serves as a bus stop, as well as a clearing to the ground of not less than five (5) feet in width from said concrete pad to the sidewalk and to the nearest lane of travel in the street."
2. Current Subsection (3) of Section 10.28 entitled "Snow and Ice to be Removed from Sidewalks" of the Madison General Ordinances is renumbered to Subsection (4).