Last year’s record snowfall left sidewalks like this one on 44th Street near Spruce buried.

The City Council passed legislation recently that will now require property owners to shovel at least a 36-inch path – up from 30 inches – down snowy sidewalks. The change is designed to make a wider path for  people in wheelchairs, many of who were stranded during last year’s record snowfall. City Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, who proposed the changes, also said the bill will help people pushing strollers.

The catch to all of this, of course, is enforcement. We’ll see if the city backs it up, especially considering that, as the Inquirer reported, City buildings are often the worst offenders of leaving treacherous winter sidewalks.

There’s not much more to it than that, but here’s the actual changes if you’re interested: