Wichita Mandates Cleared Sidewalks, No Deadline Except Downtown Areas

Wichita residents must clear sidewalks of snow and ice, but only downtown has a specific deadline for compliance

Wichita Mandates Cleared Sidewalks, No Deadline Except Downtown Areas
Wichita Mandates Cleared Sidewalks, No Deadline Except Downtown Areas

Wichita: If you live near a sidewalk or alley, you’re on snow duty. The city says it’s up to property owners to clear snow and ice from sidewalks. Megan Lovely, the city spokesperson, mentioned that there’s an ordinance about this. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but basically, you can’t let snow or ice pile up on the sidewalks or alleys next to your property.

Now, here’s the kicker: there’s no strict timeline for clearing snow unless you’re in downtown Wichita. In that area, property owners have to act quickly after a storm ends. The city’s Public Works director sets the deadline, but they haven’t done that yet since the storm is still going strong.

For downtown, if the snow stops between 8 a.m. and noon, you’ve got until 5 p.m. the same day to clear it. If it stops later, you have until noon the next day. On Sundays or holidays, the rules shift a bit, but you still have to get it done by noon the next business day.

Most folks in Wichita are pretty good about clearing their sidewalks, according to Lovely. If someone doesn’t, the city will reach out directly. If it comes to that, the city will charge the property owner based on how long the sidewalk is.

As for the city’s snow plows, they’re not clearing residential streets. They focus on emergency and school access routes. You can even track the plows on a map, which has some fun names like Snowbi One Kenobi. So, keep your sidewalks clear, Wichita!

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