I recently read an article in the Trail Times regarding the improvements in the “sidewalk” on Snake Hill near AM Ford (Power Paving, Trail Times, Sept. 23). Are you kidding me?
I have lived in West Trail for almost 20 years and have watched the Glover Road access deteriorate quite substantially over those years.
The 5th Ave hill in East Trail was given a great makeover for the handful of people that use that hill as a walking access. Snake Hill was given a makeover for pedestrians and their pets, and perhaps for the local working folks that park their vehicles halfway down the hill.
In the meantime, the Glover Road hill has been left to rot in the elements. I watch many people use this sidewalk. These include women with kids, women with strollers, everyday people packing grocery bags and the like.
This sidewalk is a menagerie of parts and pieces of blacktop and concrete.
A minimal effort was made to improve the sidewalk by patching the edges in some spots. In the winter, the work crews shovel a minimal wide walking path. The surface is so uneven that the sidewalk plow isn’t used (so as to not damage it, I assume).
There is a great many people that walk this hill regularly. Given the state of this sidewalk, it becomes a safety hazard to many. We may only be living in “West Trail”, but this area needs to be looked at as well.
The railing that runs up the hill needs to be repaired as well, but that is a different issue at a different time with a different letter.
Colin Theobold
Trail