DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 64-year-old Dearborn man's daily battle with uncleared sidewalks has sparked a conversation about winter accessibility, while the city cracks down on snow emergency violations to keep streets safe for everyone.
Watch Faraz Javed's video report:
Faraz Javed is 7 News Detroit's Dearborn beat reporter. If you have a story idea for him, email him at Faraz.Javed@wxyz.com
Kenny Rehandorf doesn't drive after a drunk driver crashed into him years ago, and right now, he can't afford a car. Working for a temp agency at $13.73 an hour, his three to four weekly grocery trips become treacherous journeys when snow falls, and sidewalks remain uncleared.
"It's people not shoveling or salting their sidewalks," Rehandorf said.
His usual 30-minute walk to Kroger on Michigan Avenue and Outer Drive can take an extra 30 minutes when sidewalks are covered in snow. The mile-long trek becomes even more dangerous when he's carrying groceries.
"I'm really frustrated, especially if I have to carry some items. I try not to bring anything breakable, like eggs or any glass, just in case I do slip and fall. At least I won't hopefully get cut," Rehandorf said.
He has fallen multiple times on his grocery runs.
When 7 News Detroit's Faraz Javed shared Rehandorf's story with Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor joined me to see the challenging path firsthand, particularly near Kroger along Outer Drive.
"For example, this is not a city road, but sometimes there are stretches of roadway, which technically nobody is responsible for shoveling, which makes it extremely difficult," Hammoud said.
The mayor acknowledged that while some areas may not be the city's governmental responsibility, Rehandorf is a Dearborn resident, making it his responsibility to find solutions.
"Kenny, we got your back, and we'll do everything that we can as Dearborn residents, as the mayor of this city, to make sure that you have a safe and easy access to and from work or to and from your grocery store," Hammoud said.
City enforces snow emergency with hundreds of tickets
Watch the report on the ticketing:
The city's commitment to winter safety extends beyond sidewalks to street clearing. During the most recent snow emergency declared on Sunday, Dearborn police issued more than 500 citations by Monday morning to vehicles blocking snowplows.
"We have 300 miles of roadway in the city of Dearborn. We have to plow all of those streets. And so we need to get the cars off the street so that we can get emergency vehicles down the road, and that's so people can safely drive," said Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin.
Lifelong Dearborn resident Darryl Bartlett learned about the city's zero-tolerance approach the hard way, receiving a ticket last year after parking for just 25 minutes during a snow emergency.
"I totally see the benefit of moving the vehicles off the street, especially this street. Garrison is a secondary Main Street, so they plow it very quickly. They try to get this street open in case anything happens on Michigan Avenue," Bartlett said.
The enforcement isn't limited to vehicles. Residents must also clear their sidewalks and driveways within 24 hours of a snow emergency. During last week's snow emergency, about 100 citations were issued to businesses and homeowners for unshoveled sidewalks.
Communication improvements and weather challenges
Mayor Hammoud said the city has improved its communication efforts around snow emergencies, using sirens, social media, and text messages to keep residents informed. The city deploys more than 20 trucks for plowing and salting operations.
However, extremely cold temperatures present challenges for pre-treatment efforts.
"Right now in this cold of temperature, the salt below 20 degrees is actually ineffective and inefficient. And so we don't want to just pour a bunch of salt on the road and then come out and plow it off when we're plowing the snow," Hammoud said.
For residents without parking spaces during snow emergencies, the city offers help finding alternatives.
Rehandorf later texted to say he's already seeing improvements and thanked the city for listening. Mayor Hammoud encourages residents to reach out with their concerns.
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