A violation of the snow clearing ordinance can result in a $50 fine and the cost of the city clearing the sidewalk. Residents may report concerns with sidewalk clearing by calling 311 or 703-746-4311.

Riy Mallahi, left, and Kelly Kroese, both of Buffalo, shovel a sidewalk on Lafayette Avenue on Dec. 29, in response to a call on Facebook for volunteers.

Updated: Dec 30, 2024 / 04:49 PM EST BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The City of Buffalo is responding to criticism on why it doesn’t have a sidewalk snow-clearing program.

In the depths of winter as snow piles up on cars, driveways, yards and homes alike, the humble public sidewalk in front of your home may not be at the top of your mind.

The City of Rochester has a supplementary municipal sidewalk snow removal program that clears snow when there are accumulations in excess of 4″ on city sidewalks that are at least 5′ wide.

Many major communities, like Amherst and Cheektowaga, don’t send out code enforcement officers to check for sidewalk clearing compliance unless someone calls with a complaint.

Bloomington Hardware had no snow shovels in stock, but did recommend a large barnyard scoop that could do the job. Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.