Louisville neighbors step up as snow, ice create accessibility challenges on city sidewalks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As the snow piles up, not everyone can easily dig their way out — and for some, even a short trip becomes a challenge.

The sidewalks along St. Catherine Court in Louisville were still covered when WDRB met Kenneth McKinney, who was trying to make his way through the snow.

“Impossible,” McKinney said when asked how it’s been getting around. “Every time it snows, this happens.”

McKinney depends on his own two feet — with some help — and the bus to get around. But he said the snow makes that nearly impossible. The sidewalks leading to his apartment complex are often blocked and bus stops, he said, are rarely cleared after a storm.

“Can’t get out to the bus stop,” he said.

The company that owns several of the nearby buildings usually sends out a small plow to clear the sidewalks, but it’s a slow process — and it leaves many residents stranded until help arrives.

Down the street, help was exactly what a few good neighbors were offering.

A group of young men had grabbed their shovels and were working their way down the block, clearing snow as fast as they could.

“It’s the name of the game,” said Izzy Morrar, who was mentoring the group. “We’ve been inside for two days, and some of our neighbors need some help.”

Morrar said they’ve seen plenty of people struggling — from drivers stuck in snowbanks to residents just trying to make it from their front door to the sidewalk.

“People are having a hard time even walking to the sidewalk from their door,” Morrar said. “Lots of people are stuck or completely buried.”

Back on St. Catherine Court, McKinney finally made it to a small restaurant — one of the few open in the neighborhood — to warm up and grab something to eat.

And while the city’s snowplows and salt trucks work to keep the streets clear, it’s neighbors like these — the ones grabbing shovels and lending a hand — who are helping keep Louisville moving, one sidewalk at a time.

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