On Thursday, I saw an elderly woman stuck on an 18-inch-high ridge of snow at the side of King Street.

She had walked across the busy street on a pedestrian crossing in front of Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate, only to find that she couldn't get to the sidewalk because the plow had left an icy barrier.

She tried to step over it, but it was too high and she fell. She lay there for a second before I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of harm's way.

This isn't acceptable.

She was one of countless people who are unfairly disadvantaged when snow and ice isn't cleared properly. That lapse of service hits hardest at the elderly, those with mobility challenges who use wheelchairs or walkers, parents with children in strollers, and people who don't have access to a car.

The relentless snowfalls and ice storms this winter have exposed the myriad problems in our cities' approach to snow clearing.

Among the biggest problems is the ridges of ice and snow left at the side of the road when city plows clear the streets. These windrows block sidewalks and bus stops, and prevent people from being able to cross at intersections because they create a barrier between road and sidewalk.

Even with more enforcement of the law requiring property owners to clear sidewalks, it's often hazardous to walk outside.

Some have urged that the city take on the responsibility of clearing sidewalks and windrows to a higher standard. It's a controversial idea. There's a lot of talk about how it would cost more. Complaints would rise and so would salt use.

But what's the alternative?

A recent blog post by Robin Mazumder, a graduate student who studies the connections between urban design and mental health, makes it clear that there are different kinds of costs. Some are on your tax bill. Others are about quality of life.

Earlier this winter, he met a man stumbling on the road.

"He was hobbling and in extreme pain," Mazumder wrote on his blog, www.robinmazumder.com.

The man had slipped on an icy sidewalk during his daily walk. Someone driving by offered Mazumder and the injured man a ride to the hospital. Mazumder stayed with the man until his parents arrived.

"His father actually called me last week and told me that his son required hip surgery as a result of his fall and would be in rehabilitation for quite a long time," Mazumder wrote.

"All because someone didn't clear their sidewalk of snow, which then turned to a sheet of ice. He won't be able to go on his daily walks for the foreseeable future."

Every public authority is urging Canadians to get out of their cars and move more.

But cities demonstrate, by the way they handle snow removal, that they do not see pedestrians as important. For that to change, our municipal leaders need to take a fresh look at this service.

Perhaps, instead of focusing so much on sidewalks and roads being cleared to the concrete, we should make mobility the top priority. Are crosswalks and intersections cleared of barriers as soon as the plow goes by? Should cities try clearing sidewalks in priority areas like major roads and school routes? Why can't we use sand instead of salt?

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Every decision has a cost. It costs more in taxes for the cities to make it safe for people to walk in winter. But that man who broke his hip is paying a high price, too. And so are all the people who are afraid to go outside at all.

ldamato@therecord.com

Twitter: @DamatoRecord