Snow Shoveling Bylaw Community Forum

Reading town officials, the Commission on Disabilities, and the Bylaw Committee held a community forum on October 22, 2026, about a proposed townwide snow-removal bylaw expected to go before Town Meeting in November. The proposal would require owners or managers of property abutting public sidewalks to clear sidewalks, driveway crossings, and nearby curb ramps to a passable width—generally 42 inches—within 12 hours after snow ends for commercial and industrial properties and 24 hours for residential properties. It also describes clearing after municipal snow operations, allows the DPW director to extend deadlines or grant waivers for good cause, and proposes an initial warning followed by a $100 fine and then $200 per day for continuing violations. No vote on the proposed bylaw was taken at the forum.