There is definitely a cost entailed to doing this, but to a great degree this could be done within existing budget authority. For example, the city has gone from 30 plows in 2012 to 36 today . Moving forward, as we replace older older equipment, we could prioritize equipment that could clear the network of protected bike, wheelchair and walking lanes described above. As for more hand crews, paying people to ensure a more walkable and transit friendly city seems a local version of a Green New Deal. In the context of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s overall budget, my experience dealing with city budgets leads me to believe these initiatives could be handled by reprioritizing within existing expenditures, and wouldn't require new revenues. As operation “Shared Shovel” demonstrates, the city can mobilize more resources; it’s just a question of whose commute we prioritize.

And even if there are some costs, it is well worth doing for the benefits of ensuring the city works for all, including the most vulnerable, during a snowstorm. None of us likes cabin fever, but imagine the difficulty for those who for whatever reason — age, infirmity, disability — cannot navigate snow filled walkways.

There is further benefit in making a more resilient city. More of us could make it to jobs or local businesses, making the city more economically stable. The city would have even more of an advantage over car-centric suburbs as a place to live and do business. Places built for the efficiency of moving cars turn out to be very fragile in the face of snowstorm disruption. Cities have the potential to be much more resilient for all, particularly if we make it a priority to recognize and leverage the advantages of our compact neighborhoods.

And if we really want to go all in on being inclusive, we could allow more people to live in the city. That would mean more of us are available to help share the load, physically and financially, in creating a place that works for all, even when the going gets rough.

It would be pretty easy for us to watch the rains wash away the snow and wait complacently for the next series of snow, ice and slush to grind the city to a halt. We made tremendous progress over the past decade in making our arterials work better for cars, and in mobilizing the first hand crews. The next step is to make the city work better for all of us, regardless of our abilities. How about it City Hall?