The New Geography of a Frozen City

"It's been a week since a foot of snow fell on the city, and what was once fluff quickly turned into slush and has now hardened into ice. A string of below-freezing temperatures, with no real sign of a defrost coming, means things are likely to stay this way for a while. And so we've adapted to the new geography of a haphazardly shoveled and plowed landscape:"

"Pedestrians learned to walk in single-file lines, supers put out the trash on top of piles of snow, bus riders became mountain climbers, and everyone got mad at one another for the uncleared crosswalks. Some older and disabled New Yorkers have been left stranded at home. Stroller navigation is a nightmare. (The sidewalk, including the curb cut, is considered the responsibility of the property owner, while the road up to the curb cut is the Department of Sanitation's domain.)"

A foot of snow hardened into ice after prolonged subfreezing temperatures, creating persistent hazardous conditions across the city. Pedestrians adapted by walking in single-file along narrow cleared routes while trash and snow piled on sidewalks. Bus riders faced steep, icy climbs and many cars remained buried. Some older and disabled residents became stranded at home, and stroller travel became extremely difficult. Sidewalk and curb-cut clearing responsibilities are split between property owners and the Department of Sanitation. The city deployed large snow-melters to accelerate removal because melting was necessary given the sustained cold.

Read at Curbed