Shovel Your Sidewalks In Winter

Sidewalks are a critical part of Minneapolis' transportation system and keeping our sidewalks free of ice and snow is the law. For your own benefit and to help your neighbors, people pushing strollers or using wheelchairs, and the many people in Minneapolis who walk, please do your part. Minneapolis ordinance requires property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall for houses and duplexes and four daytime hours for all other properties. Failure to shovel your walk could lead to a ticket plus the cost of crews shoveling it.

You can report an unshoveled or icy sidewalk by calling 311 or making an online report at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/snow/shovel/snow_snow.

The City makes free sand available to residents for sanding sidewalks and walkways. Eastside residents can pick up free sand 24 hours a day at the Street Maintenance Facility at 1809 Washington (sand is at the 18th & Jefferson side of property). Don't forget to bring a pail and shovel.

Get Ready To Shovel

Keeping our sidewalks free of ice and snow isn't just the neighborly thing to do, it’s the law. For your own benefit and to help your neighbors, people pushing strollers or using wheelchairs, and the many people in Minneapolis who walk, please do your part.

Minneapolis Ordinance requires the property owners clear sidewalks after a snowfall within:

• 24 hours for single family homes and duplexes
• Four daytime hours for apartments, commercial buildings and all other properties (daytime hours begin at 8 am)

When you shovel snow and clear ice:

• Shovel the sidewalks on all sides of your property, the full width of the sidewalk down to the bare pavement. 
• Remove all ice from sidewalks. 
• Pile snow into your yard and boulevard. It’s against the law to shovel snow into streets and alleys. 
• If you have a corner property, clear pedestrian ramps at the street corners and crosswalks to the street gutter. You are not required to clear snow ridges or piles left by the plows beyond the gutter. City crews will make an effort to return to do this work as quickly as possible, but with some 16,000 corners to clear across the City, it may take a while. However, your neighbors would appreciate it if you could clear the pile, or at least an opening sooner to help shorten the wait and provide a clear passage. 

Avoid the cost of the City clearing your sidewalk:

• If the City of Minneapolis gets a complaint or discovers that a sidewalk is not properly cleared, Public Works will inspect the sidewalk and give the property owners a chance to clear it. 
• If the sidewalk has not been cleared upon re-inspection, the property owner may be issued a citation with a fine, and crews will remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk. Property owners will be billed for this service, and unpaid bills will be added to property tax statements. 

Want to go the extra mile?

• Report snow and ice on sidewalks. 
• Are there neighbors on your street who are elderly, have a disability or may have a hard time shoveling for any reason? Work with your neighbors to give a hand and ensure your entire block is safe and accessible to all.

Sidewalk Snow & Ice

Clearing your sidewalks of snow and ice is not only required by City Ordinance, it's an essential part of being a good neighbor. For your own benefit and help your neighbors, people pushing stroller or using wheelchairs, and the many people in the City who walk, please do your part.

Minneapolis ordinance requires that single family homes and duplexes clear sidewalks within 24 hours after the end of a snowfall. Apartments, commercial buildings and all other properties must clear the snow within four daytime hours. If the City of Minneapolis gets a complaint or discovers that a sidewalk is not properly cleared, Public Works will inspect and give the property owner a chance to clear it. If it has not been cleared upon re-inspection, the property owner may be issued a citation and fine and crews will remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk. Property owners will be billed for this service.

To report a sidewalk that has not been cleared of snow and ice, call 311 or visit http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/snow/shovel/snow_snow to make an online report.

Sidewalk Snow & Ice

Clearing sidewalk snow and ice is an important responsibility for property owners in the City of Minneapolis. Keeping our sidewalks safe and comfortable for winter walking is important for all pedestrians, but essential for those people who are mobility-impaired or pushing strollers. Please do your part.

Minneapolis ordinance requires that property owners clear sidewalks after the end of a snowfall within:

* 24 hours for houses and duplexes

* 4 daytime hours for apartment and commercial buildings (daytime hours begins at 8 a.m.)

If the City of Minneapolis gets a complaint or discovers that a sidewalk is not properly cleared, Public Works will inspect the sidewalk and give the property owner a chance to clear it. If the sidewalk has not been cleared upon re-inspection, the property owner may be issued a citation with a fine. Crews will remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk and property owners will be billed for this service. To report a sidewalk that is not shoveled, call 311 or visit www.minneapolismn.gov.

Remember that property owners are as responsible for clearing ice on the sidewalk as clearing snow. 

Free sand is available to Minneapolis residents at 1809 Washington Street NE at 18th and Jefferson.

Snow Shoveling Rules

Keeping our sidewalks free of ice and snow is the neighborly thing to do and it’s the law. For your own benefit and to help your neighbors, people pushing strollers or using wheelchairs, and the many people in Minneapolis who walk, please do your part. Minneapolis ordinance requires that property owners clear sidewalks after the end of a snowfall within 24 hours for homes and duplexes and 4 daytime hours for apartment and commercial buildings (daytime hours begin at 8 a.m.) When you shovel snow and clear ice Shovel the sidewalks on all sides of your property, the full width of the sidewalk down to the bare pavement. Remove all ice from sidewalks. After the sidewalk is cleared, sprinkling a little sand can help prevent slipping on frosty sidewalks. Pile snow into your yard and boulevard. It’s against the law to shovel snow into streets and alleys. If you have a corner property, clear curb cuts at corners and crosswalks to the street gutter. Avoid a ticket If the City of Minneapolis gets a complaint or discovers that a sidewalk is not properly cleared, Public Works will inspect the sidewalk and give the property owners a chance to clear it. If the sidewalk has not been cleared upon re-inspection, the property owner may be issued a citation with a fine. Crews will remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk. Property owners will be billed for this service, and unpaid bills will be added to property tax statements.

Volunteer to Shovel Seniors’ Sidewalks

When it snows there are seniors in the city who need help shoveling their walks. Want to lend them a hand this winter? The City is working with the Neighborhood Involvement Program to find individual or group volunteers to commit to shoveling for at least one client for one month or for the entire winter. Visit the Neighborhood Involvement Program for more information and contact Jeanne Rasmussen at srvolunteer@neighborhoodinvolve.org or 612-746-8549 to sign up.

Parking Lot & Sidewalk Maintenance Workshop

Elevated levels of chloride from road salt have the potential to severely impact our watershed, rivers and lakes. The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) is offering a FREE workshop on Winter Parking Lot & Sidewalk Maintenance that will present information on how to mitigate the effects of de-icing materials on the environment without compromising safety or effectiveness.

The workshop is geared toward staff maintaining private/public walkways and parking lots, snow removal contractors, landscapers, property managers, and snowplow drivers. Participants also have the option of receiving Level One Certification in Snow & Ice Control Best Practices from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which would allow them to be listed on the MPCA website as a certified practitioner.

The workshop takes place Thursday, December 9, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the St. Anthony City Hall, 3301 Silver Lake Road, St. Anthony. There is no charge for the workshop and it includes a complimentary lunch. Registration is required by Wednesday, December 1. For further information and registration forms, go to http://www.mwmo.org/educationtrainings.html.