DC property owners required to clear alleys

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe DC gov should first fine itself, for failing to leaf blow or snowplow?

I understand the issues with leaf collection considering everything is still buried by snow (and probably will continue to be buried well into next week). But -- as happens every year, no matter which system they employ (and it's changed a lot recently) -- they were already ludicrously behind in the collection process before the snow even arrived. At this rate, the leaves are probably gonna be there until March.

[Anonymous]

My alley is a sheet of ice and is actually way worse than it's been in prior years/storms. And our trash hasn't been picked up since Christmas. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been a homeowner in DC for 8 years and diligently shovel the sidewalk in front of my house (and usually one or more neighbors). Today is the first I learned that property owners are responsible for removing snow from the alleys they abut. I’m rather taken aback by this.

Was this general knowledge that I somehow missed? Are people doing this?

The alleys are a no-mans land wrt snow clearing. The District does not plow alleys. Homeowners are not responsible for clearing alleys. Responsibilty reverts to nature.

I did see a white pickup go through our alley to apply salt, which surprised me. I didn't see either door, but its appearance was consistent with the DDOT fleet.

DC Code § 9–601; https://snow.dc.gov/page/frequently-asked-questions-4

Our alley in Upper NW was salted before the storm, which was a first in decades of living here. Sadly, it did nothing, and the alley quickly turned into a skating rink and our garbage/recycling wasn't collected until yesterday when things finally had melted enough. (it doesn't help that our alley is downhill, making it even more tricky for garbage trucks).

+1

I’ll start shoveling my alley when recycling actually gets picked up on a consistent basis. Before today it had been three weeks.

Damn straight. Been tempted to just put it all in the regular trash. WTH DC?

Salting before the storm makes no sense. Our NE alley was salted a few days after the storm and is now clear (weather assisted); we never went through the ice rink phase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Homeowners are NOT responsible for snow removal from alleys in DC. Not sure where you learned" otherwise.

Exactly. People could get injured over this misinformation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Homeowners are NOT responsible for snow removal from alleys in DC. Not sure where you learned" otherwise.

Exactly. People could get injured over this misinformation.

Where would I shovel the snow to? I could see a POV that your trash bins need to be accessible -
But clearing the equivalent of a one way narrow street?

[Anonymous]

I could have sworn a plow came through our alley during last year’s snow. Am I imagining this or do they sometimes plow alleys?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe DC gov should first fine itself, for failing to leaf blow or snowplow?

I understand the issues with leaf collection considering everything is still buried by snow (and probably will continue to be buried well into next week). But -- as happens every year, no matter which system they employ (and it's changed a lot recently) -- they were already ludicrously behind in the collection process before the snow even arrived. At this rate, the leaves are probably gonna be there until March.

The leaves will eventually break down, I'm not sure it's a horrible crisis if they never pick them up. What annoyed me a couple of years ago was that they SAID they were going to do round 2 on a specific date, so I raked everything into the tree box, and then they never came for them, so a huge pile of leaves sat on the grass there and it all died.