Here's an interesting bit of information that surprised me. I've fielded a couple of resident complaints regarding the lack of snow removal on the Hwy A overpass between Capital Drive and Grand Chute Boulevard. Many pedestrians use this walkway, and commented that the area was slippery and hard to walk through because of the snow. I asked Administrator Rohloff what the procedure was for snow removal, and what I could tell residents. Admin. Rohloff responded:
" ... this area is classified as a trail, not a sidewalk. Because trails are legally different from sidewalks, trails are not required to be plowed and offer the Town a recreational immunity if we leave the trail in its natural state for activities such as snow shoeing and cross country skiing. Outagamie County takes a similar stand with respect to its trails, such as the CE Trail from Appleton out to Kaukauna. According to the County, we potentially lose our recreational immunity once we begin to clear the trail. The reality is that the trail is almost used exclusively for foot traffic."
I looked at the Grand Chute Trails map, and sure enough, this section is classified as a trail, and hooks up with the Grand Chute Boulevard Trail. Admin. Rohloff indicated the Town Board could direct staff to remove snow from the trail, but has not in the past. If you would like to see snow cleared from this overpass, I recommend you contact Town Board members in order to show there is enough interest to change current snow removal practices.
On another note, I do have a backlog of blog postings ideas that I hope to tackle this week. Updates should be frequent the next few days.
