Reminders: Snow shoveling and snow removal resident responsibilities

The City of Altoona has made updates to its map of city trail or city maintained sidewalks ahead of the winter and snowfall season. Altoona property owners are expected to maintain the sidewalks on their properties in accordance with City Code 136.03. This states that property owners should remove snow from their sidewalks within 24 hours of the end of a storm or weather event that produces ice or snow accumulation.

As Altoona continues to grow, the map of trails and sidewalks it maintains also changes. Two such changes made this year include the elimination of maintained school routes along sidewalks, as students are no longer traveling a single main path to approach schools; and the ending of the city shoveling some six-foot wide sidewalks. With more than 124 miles of sidewalk in Altoona, city staff and resources are needed to maintain the trails and other properties in the community and cannot also maintain the more than 20 miles of six-foot wide sidewalk.

These efforts also standardize the shoveling policies for all residents, providing equity in responsibility amongst neighbors and neighborhoods. Please review the map to ensure you are correctly maintaining sidewalks on your property. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

City Shoveled Sidewalks & Trails
- Search for your address in the upper right search bar
- View a larger map by clicking here.

Report a concern
Residents can report a sidewalk or property that needs to be shoveled online using the Citizen Serve portal. City staff use these reports and their own analysis to identify properties in violation of City Code 136.03. Staff will then distribute green tags at properties that need to be cleared. Should the property owner not clear the property walkways and drives of snow upon receiving the notice, city staff will clear sidewalks and may assess costs for clearing to the property owner.