Sidewalk Snow Removal

Snow Removal Ordinance

The city's snow removal ordinance (PDF) and abatement procedures went into effect November 23, 2014.  This ordinance requires that property owners clear adjacent sidewalks within 24 hours of the first accumulation.


Keeping our sidewalks free of ice and snow is the neighborly thing to do. Do you have neighbors who are elderly or have a disability? Work with your neighborhood and lend a hand and ensure your entire block is safe and accessible to all.


Together, we are all responsible for keeping Ypsilanti safe and comfortable for winter walking. For your own benefit and to help your neighbors, people pushing strollers, using wheelchairs, or the many people in Ypsilanti who walk, please do your part!


To report snow on sidewalks, please call 734-482-9626 or report online at YpsiConnect.

Shoveling Snow

Shoveling Tips

When you shovel snow and clear ice:
  • Shovel the full width of the sidewalk on all sides of your property, down to the bare pavement.
  • Remove all ice from sidewalks. After the sidewalk is clear, sprinkling sand or cat litter can help prevent slipping.
  • Pile snow onto your own yard or boulevard. It's against ordinance to shovel snow into streets and alleys.
  • If you have a corner property, you are required to clear the curb ramps at crosswalks down to the street gutter.
  • To minimize the possibility that City plows might plow shoveled snow back into your driveway or curb cut, please shovel/pile the snow to the right side of your drive or curbcut as you face the road, and clear a pocket of snow on the opposite (left) side.  Much of the accumulated snow on the plow will dump into the pocket and not in the driveway or curb cut.

How To Avoid A Ticket

If the City of Ypsilanti receives a complaint or discovers that a sidewalk is not properly cleared within 24 hours of snowfall, Ordinance Enforcement will inspect the sidewalk and give the property owner a citation. 
  • The property owner may also be required to appear at the Administrative Hearings Bureau.
  • Future violations will result in additional citations and immediate abatement with no additional notice left at the property.
  • Abatement crews will remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk. Property owners will be billed for this service.
  

Remember:

  • You are just as responsible for clearing ice on your sidewalk as you are for clearing snow. The sooner and more completely you shovel, the less likely that ice will form.
  • If you're going on vacation, make arrangements for someone to take over while you are away.
  • Ypsilanti City Code Chapter 94, Section 94-135(a) defines the snow season as October 1st - May 31st.