Winter Walks and Snowy Blocks

DENVER — It’s that time of year again when our beautiful city is transformed into a winter wonderland. Even with the weather warming up, it’s important to make sure our sidewalks are clear of snow and ice. We want walking to be a safe and easy option all year round, especially for seniors and people using wheelchairs. 

In Denver, home and business owners are responsible for walkway snow removal, including curb ramps at the corners for people with disabilities. Once snow has stopped falling, businesses have four (4) hours, and residents have twenty-four (24) hours, to remove snow and ice from public sidewalks adjacent to their property. Please contact Denver 3-1-1 to provide the address of unshoveled sidewalks. Denver relies on citizen complaints to help identify those property owners that need to be educated about sidewalk safety requirements. For tips on how to properly shovel snow, please visit Denver Health’s Snow Removal Injury Prevention.

We also want our four-legged friends to enjoy their walks! Commercial ice melt products can make the snow removal chore much easier but did you know they could be harmful to your pets? You can find a list of veterinarian-recommended products HERE. No matter which product you choose to use, make sure to wipe off your pets’ paws after walking outside on snowy days and never let them ingest any ice melt products, including those labeled ‘pet-safe.’ 

If you’d like to lend a helping hand to an elderly neighbor, sign up to be a Denver Snow Buddy! Snow Buddies is a partnership between the City and County of Denver and Volunteers of America. The Snow Buddies program connects healthy volunteers with anyone 60+ in the metro area who cannot shovel their own walk. Volunteers are paired with seniors within a 2-mile radius of one another.

You can also help make Denver a safe and easy place to walk year round by donating to WalkDenver.  Your donation makes advocacy happen!

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