Winter Sidewalk Clearing Plan

The task

Your city has a limited budget for snow removal next winter. The public works department is asking residents which kind of clearing should come first after a storm. Choose the option you prefer and explain the reasons for your choice. Write about 150-200 words. Option A: Clear sidewalks, bus stops and curb ramps within 24 hours, even if side roads wait longer. Option B: Clear all residential roads within 24 hours, and clear sidewalks after the roads are done.

• Choose Option A or Option B.
• Explain the reasons for your choice with details and examples.

Length

150–200 words

Time

26 minutes

Question

1 of 15

I would choose Option A, because clearing sidewalks, bus stops and curb ramps first protects the residents who have no other way to get around. My main reason is safety. Many seniors, parents with strollers and people in wheelchairs depend on sidewalks every day. After a storm last February, my elderly neighbour stayed indoors for almost a week because the ramp at our corner was buried under a hard ridge of ice. A driver can wait a few hours for a side street to be ploughed, but a person who slips on an icy sidewalk may end up with a broken hip. My second reason is that public transit only works if people can reach it. When a bus shelter is surrounded by a metre of packed snow, riders are forced to stand on the road, which is dangerous for everyone. I understand that residential roads matter too, especially for emergency vehicles. However, main arteries would still be cleared quickly under either plan, so the real choice concerns quiet streets. For these reasons, I believe Option A is the fairer and safer use of the budget.

Why this answer works

• The opening sentence states the choice and its core justification in one complex sentence.
• The neighbour who stayed indoors for a week is a specific, believable example rather than a general claim.
• It concedes the emergency-vehicle concern and answers it, showing balanced, controlled argument.