Who clears snow along Carmel’s many sidewalks, paths & trails?

Carmel city officials remind all residents, property owners, and business owners that it’s important to keep your sidewalks clear of snow and ice. Carmel is a city that embraces a spirit of walkability – whether that is for a walk to school, the grocery store, or just to get out and exercise during these frigid winter months.

Help continue this tradition of keeping the community walkable, no matter what the weather holds. Please shovel your sidewalks or arrange for others to help so that your friends and neighbors can continue to make their way – safely – around the city.

The ‘No-Bus Zones’ created in 2021 has increased the number of students walking to school, even on snowy days. Residents, businesses, and property owners within that roughly one-mile radius of schools should keep this in mind as they are maintaining sidewalks.

Many residents may not realize that the city is responsible for plowing the streets and many trails and pathways, but it is the responsibility of residential property owners to clear their own sidewalks of all snow and ice within 72 hours of a major snowfall. If you own a business, the timeline is by noon the day after.

Paths located along city roadways are cleared by the Carmel Street Department as soon as possible after streets are cleared. In most cases, they are cleared along with the adjacent section of roadway.

It should be noted that the Street Department does not clear trails outside of normal business hours, and depending on the depth of snow, it may take two or three days to clear the paths. Additionally, in some areas, trails are not cleared on both sides of the roadway.

Trails and greenways are cleared by the Carmel Clay Parks Department, which begins clearing operations shortly after the end of the snowfall. Trails in Carmel are cleared but are not salted. No salt is used due to the threat of killing vegetation along the trails, causing injury to the paws of pets, and the potential damage to the asphalt.

Questions regarding snow removal on sidewalks can be directed to Code Enforcement at (317) 571-2491.