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Fed up with stupid turf battle between city and MBTA, some Roslindale residents shovel out a sidewalk

Every single year, the city of Boston and the MBTA bicker over who should shovel the sidewalk in front of the Alexander the Great statue that sits by the base of the Roslindale Village train stop between Belgrade Avenue and Robert Street. And every single year, neither shovels it out, forcing pedestrians to walk in the street hoping they don't get smashed into by a car driven by people who fling themselves around the corner from Belgrade to Robert.

After a couple of days of complaining and ineffectual bleating from bureaucracydom, residents Matt Lawlor, Adam Rogoff, Chris Kollett, Tim West, and Rob Orthman went down to the corner with shovels last night and got rid of the damned snow, per Keep Roslindale Quirky. Pedestrians of Roslindale Square rejoiced.

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Comments

Is the MBTA only responsible for the sidewalk on the North side of the Ukraine Way bridge? The south side is a snow-covered wasteland.

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The MBTA is only responsible for what the union is willing to accept responsibility for. Not an iota more.

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The unions would be happy for the OT Pay.

Saving money by deferring maintenance is the T's signature program.

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I wonder if this is what happens on Terrace Street between the MBTA Police driveway and the auto shop. I assume it's MBTA property (they have warning signs up on the fence that runs along the sidewalk) but they haven't shoveled it yet.

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Since you don't want to shovel public walkways which aren't platforms, why not offer up a free month passes to citizens who shovel what you own but don't maintain? It would cost the T almost nothing and solve a big problem.

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Require them to do it using hired people.

The "sharing economy" is just about circumventing regulations, to give more money to a big business.

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This area is right next to a commuter rail station. That's $200 a month per person.

On the other hand, the sidewalks and bridges around the commuter rail lines would be very, very clean.

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There is a turf battle brewing at South Station over allowing the homeless to stay in the station during the cold weather. The MBTA and the vendors in the station want them removed and the mayor and the Public Health commission want them to stay because the shelters are full.

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Interesting thought.

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Here is an idea... why doesn’t everyone come together and shovel as a whole. MBTA and residents alike. Figure it out for shits sake

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This is also the case on Dent St and Lagrange in West Rox......

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with shoveling their green line stops out as well. There are stops on the B line where you run a serious risk of being hit by a train while waiting for the train because beyond the yellow line is only about 2 inches of shoveled space. Then to get from the stop from the sidewalk or vice versa requires climbing over huge mounds of snow and risking falling under moving cars when you invariably slip.

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I agree government can do better, clearly; however We The People need to take more ownership of our communities and stop always relying on the City of Boston for everything. Citizen of Boston start learning to do for yourself, esp., during A"Emergency Situations" . Get out their and shovel snow of behalf of the city.

TO ALL YOU COMPLAINERS WHO JUST COMPLAIN BUT HAVE NO ACTIONS OTHER THAN PICKING UP THE PHONE PLEASE, WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO RESOLVE THE MATTERS. BIG UPS TO THOSE CITIZENS IN ROSLINDALE.

ASK YOURSELF THIS ITS NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU BUT WHAT IS IT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY IN THIS CASE WTF ARE YOU DOING FOR YOUR CITY.

TO THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T VOTE AND YOU COMPLAINING, PLEASE STFU. WHEN YOU DON'T INTENTIONALLY FOR W/E LAME ACCUSES, YOU HAVE LOSE YOUR RIGHT TO COMPLAIN OR SAY ANYTHING.

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I volunteer to drive a train on snow days. (tried but couldn't find the video of an MBTA commuter rail train speeding through the snow along the Pike in 2015).

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Town full of jerks

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The City and DCR have been fighting for years over who is responsible for the sidewalk running beside the marsh. All people who use that route to walk to Orient Heights are forced to walk in the street for an extended period.

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Is this actually a turf battle, with each side blaming the other in public statements?

Or is it just mismanagement/poor communication, where word of the problem never gets to the people who can make it get fixed?

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About this specific bit of sidewalk. I've just been following the escalating level of complaints and responses between residents and the mayor's Roslindale liaison in the Keep Roslindale Quirky Facebook group.

Then there's the question of the stairs underneath the train station ...

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The pathway that brings people from the station to the Square when there is a train at the station. How is there even a question about whose responsibility that is?

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Same thing Rte 203 (gallivan blvd and Morton street that runs from Jamaica Way to Neponset Circle). The roadway done well but adjacent green-space and sidewalks are poorly maintained or completely neglected. DCR and MassDOT are confused about which one is supposed to do it. It is a priority 1 state road where sidewalks bus stops hydrants are supposed to be plowed out. But unfortunately it doesn’t happen.
And for the person who says quit complaining - try shoveling several times only to have city /state olowsn jam hard pack ice snow back in by al’s soon as you are done. I am a good citizen and I usually do shovel - but it is back breaking work and the taxes I pay cover the cost already to do it. AND I don’t own the sidewalks. Do you see citizens out shoveling the VFW? Jamaicaway? Stories Drive? No because they are state roads and that is part of the state’s duty and covered by your taxes. Unfortunately the state neglects some roadways particularly Rte 203 at the neighborhood residents peril. On its own website it is one of the roads with the most accidents per mile of roadway in the state and the neglect just makes it more dangerous.

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