To the Editor:
Winter is upon us, especially with the snowstorm we had on Sunday. The plows were out and the roads have been cleared. What has not been cleared are the sidewalks — again! Children returned to school again, with no sidewalks plowed.

During the summer, the town was so proud of itself for the installation and expansion of sidewalks in town. Of note are the sidewalks along Western Avenue east of the library, West Old State Road, and the northern part of Carman Road.

Yes, these are very helpful and needed so that we can have a walkable system within the town and enable those who don’t drive to have a safe means of traveling on these busy roads.

What was notable to me on Monday, at 3 p.m, roughly 24 hours after the end of the snowstorm was that no sidewalks were plowed west of the public library!

I can say that a couple of small areas were plowed, but they were in front of a business or a residential home and clearly shoveled.

What mortified and scared the daylights out of me, was the sight of a woman with a stroller and a child walking in the road on Carman Road. With cars moving at least 40 miles per hour, mostly exceeding the limit, this family was at great risk of getting hit by a car, bus, truck, you name it. 

How can this town pat itself  on the back for these “wonderful” sidewalks, and then not maintain them? What does it take for this supervisor to realize the danger pedestrians are faced with when the town does not maintain what it has for the safety of its residents?

In fact, I raised this question when the sidewalks were being built. I was assured that the town has three or four sidewalk plows to do the job. What was interesting is that one person said three and the supervisor said four, so which is it?

When I asked a town board member why there were sidewalks being built on West Old State Road, I was told that there are quite a few children who walk to the Lynnwood Elementary School on this road. If that is the case, then why aren’t these sidewalks plowed first?

During the better weather and into the fall, you will see folks from the senior-living facility walking on the sidewalk on Carman Road. Not on Monday, and probably not for the entire winter.

The total lack of concern and disregard for this integral part of our community is astounding given that the town wants to make Guilderland “walkable.”  You can’t be walkable if you don’t maintain the means to do so.

Please do your job and safeguard the safety of our seniors and those who use sidewalks to get from point A to point B. If this had not been raised in the past, it would not be a big deal. It is now a big deal, and clearly a health and safety issue, and the lack of direction to ensure the safety of our residents is shameful. 

Robyn Gray

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Robyn Gray chairs the steering committee for the Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth.