The MFJS Reporter — Winter 2020 M-W

Lingering snow and ice on the roads of Denver is an issue all residents are forced to deal with when a storm comes. It has become commonplace to walk down an iced over sidewalk, or to drive down an unplowed side road of Denver despite a message from Denver Public Works stating they would be working to deploy more snow and ice crews to residential areas in the future. 

Students at the University of Denver know these winter conditions too well, with them often effecting day to day activities when inclement weather strikes. 

“I have fallen multiple times while walking to class and have come quite close to injuring myself because of ice on the ground” said Hudson Cramer, a third-year finance major at the University of Denver, “I really think the city or the school should be doing more to make it safer for everyone”. 

Since 2017, Denver has increased the number of residential plows that go out during the storm; however, these plows do not clear the snow down to the pavement due to things like manholes. The city cannot use more deicing than it currently does because the chemicals can seep into water systems or get inhaled in particulate form. 

There are other methods of snow and ice management that do not involve harmful salt or chemicals such as calcium magnesium acetate, sand, potassium acetate, or even heated snow melting mats. 

Car accidents occur at a much higher rate in Denver after a snow storm. A storm on Thurs. Oct., 10, caused 193 accidents in one day. Denver has responded to criticism from residents about a lack of snow removal, but are there any noticeable changes occurring on the streets? 

“I haven’t noticed any difference in road conditions in the past few months of driving during and after storms,” said Matthew Moscati, a third-year marketing major at DU, “the ice was so bad after one of the storms I slid my car into a curb coming around a turn right by campus”. 

University of Denver’s Facilities Management & Planning department clears snow on campus in a “set priority” in order to maintain access to the major parts of campus. About 42% of DU students live in the surrounding neighborhood off-campus, meaning there is a large population of students that have to walk on the surrounding streets and sidewalks every day.

“I live about two blocks off-campus,” said Bennett Elsman, a third-year finance major at DU, “there is definitely a lack of effort from the city to clear off roads and sidewalks, but because we are students here, why isn’t DU doing anything to make it safer for us to walk to class after storms?”. 

The snow management in Denver, or lack thereof, is an ongoing issue for residents carrying out their daily lives during and after snow storms, and with city officials providing responses to complaints about road and sidewalk conditions hopefully we see actual actions take place this winter. 

While residents and students wait for the City and the University of Denver to improve their snow management practices, the Denver Police Department offers some advice to help keep us safe out in storms, “Slow going is better than no-going”