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If you walk or take transit during the winter, you know that it takes just one unshovelled sidewalk to close off a block to folk who struggle with mobility, or even put lives and health at risk due to slips and falls. As much as most people are well-intentioned, there's just enough property owners leaving snow and ice behind to make winter walking difficult and treacherous for too many of us.

Unfortunately, the City of Kitchener doesn't seem to understand the scope of the problem. They don't have numbers on how many sidewalks remain uncleared after a snowfall, just how many complaints they receive. We don't think that gives a very complete picture, as many snowy or icy sidewalks go unreported. Complaints certainly don't tell us how far someone can travel before being trapped by snow.

Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg says "In God we trust. All others bring data." It's time for us to get some hard numbers on sidewalk clearing to show Kitchener how much snowy or slippery sidewalks impede mobility.

That's where we need your help. We're looking for volunteers to help us collect data on sidewalk snow clearing in Kitchener. Volunteers will be asked to visit specified streets a few evenings over the course of 5 weeks this winter to report on the walking conditions of the sidewalks on those blocks, using a simple, straightforward survey. If you participate, you'll be asked to sign up for a few specific data-collection times, (likely Monday or Thursday evenings). 

If you're interested in helping out, please add your name and email to our volunteer sign-up form and we'll be in touch shortly.

Thanks,

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