NJ law requires that businesses must clean the snow from accessible parking spaces and paths by 24 hours after snow fall has stopped or be fined $500 to $1000 per spot per day. http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/legis/2007c287_law.pdf
Violations of this law are rampant and prevent people with disabilities from moving about in the snow and are a hazard to health. The pictures below show sample violations at the Middletown Sunray/Pathmark shopping Center, a medical building at 240 Wall Street in W. Long Branch and Ursula Plaza in Long Branch.
In case you can't find them in the pictures, the buried accessible parking spots are located in front of the blue reserved signs and under the huge piles of snow!
Not only are the spaces not cleaned out, but snow is also pushed into the spaces from other spaces in the lots! Police departments usually are not enforcing thus important law.
Perhaps publicity on the law and fines would increase compliance. The violations are a huge source of "road rage" for me and other people with disabilities who try to travel!
Thank you,
Carolyn Schwebel, Director
Equalizers, Advocates for People with Disabilities
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| Outside Sunray Drugs - Middletown |
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| Outside a medical building W. Long Branch |
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| Ursala Plaza - Long Branch |
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