Some Centre County bus stops blocked by snow week after storm. Who is responsible?
You might want to wear snow boots if you plan to take the bus any time soon in Centre County.
While most roads and sidewalks are clear after last week’s unusually strong snowstorm, some Centre County bus stops are still separated from sidewalks by a foot or more of snow. Bus stops in areas without sidewalks might be difficult to access, as well, as snow has narrowed the shoulders of some roads, leaving little room to walk, stand and wait.
Who is responsible for clearing bus stops is “kind of a gray area,” said Ryan Scanlan, public works director for Patton Township. The township, he said, clears the road, while the Centre Area Transportation Authority must clear the bus stops and bump-outs. Property owners are responsible for shoveling and salting the sidewalks.
Adam Simpson, a CATA spokesman, said Scanlan’s description of the responsibilities sounds correct.
The Centre Daily Times surveyed about 40 bus stops Monday afternoon in Patton, Ferguson and College townships, as well as State College. The vast majority of sheltered bus stops were as accessible as on a summer day, especially those on commercial properties, but a few saw mounds of snow blocking the sidewalk.
Some bus stops saw inadequately maintained sidewalks within the immediate vicinity. A bus stop in Lemont, for example, had a roughly foot-wide path dug out on the nearby sidewalk, which would not be able to accommodate a wheelchair. It would be the responsibility of the property owner to make the path wide enough for all to use.
Some bus stops, such as along Benner Pike, saw a wide gulf of deep snow between the sidewalk and where riders would board the bus. Icy footprints indicated where riders would walk to the sidewalk to board the bus.
Simpson said CATA “has been able to clear a path at those stops for which we are responsible.”
But the trickiest bus stops for pedestrian access were those in areas without sidewalks. Some bus stops in Toftrees and on curvy roads in Lemont saw less than a foot of shoulder available for pedestrians to stand on while waiting, making the snow the safest place to stand.
“Are we pushing the snow back at bus stops? No,” Scanlan said. He said the township prioritizes the cartways, or the areas where vehicles drive, in its plowing operations.
Among other things, a CATA winter safety guide recommends riders wear reflective clothing or carry a flashlight.
Simpson said drivers report hazardous stops to CATA, which then requests the requisite landowners and municipalities remove the snow. CATA crews plowed bus stops Jan. 26 and were out Jan. 27 “double-checking,” Simpson said.
The work was ongoing, he added.
Very little snow from last week’s storm has melted due to frigid temperatures over the past week. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing this week, meaning snow melt will remain minimal.
The volume of snow, combined with the cold, has made snow removal efforts “particularly difficult” for CATA and its partners, according to Simpson.
