(haipo) – Many sidewalks and paths throughout the city are quietly becoming a real obstacle for pedestrians. Vegetation from private gardens: trees, shrubs and hedges, spills into public space, narrowing the passage and sometimes even blocking it almost completely. One of the most prominent examples of this is the avenue of trees on the main Sea Road street, a route through which dozens of residents pass every day, including children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
At the top of Derech Hayam Street, there is vegetation that spills onto the public sidewalk, effectively blocking the path. Where the sidewalk and wide avenue are supposed to allow for comfortable and safe passage for three pedestrians at a time, only one person is currently allowed to cross, and even then, they have to lower their heads and be careful of branches and bushes that protrude into the path.
In several locations along the street, there are low tree branches that penetrate the walking space and constitute a real safety nuisance. It should be emphasized that this is not a localized or unusual hazard. Residents point to a recurring phenomenon in other areas of the city, where vegetation from private or public areas invades sidewalks and paths, without ongoing care or visible enforcement. The feeling among the public is of ongoing neglect and of a waiver of a basic right to free, safe, and accessible passage in public spaces.
The situation raises fundamental questions regarding the municipality's responsibility, what is the role of the local authority in all matters relating to the maintenance, pruning, and removal of vegetation encroaching on sidewalks and public paths? Why is proactive pruning not carried out in areas prone to disaster, and why is there no clear enforcement against owners of land bordering the sidewalk, who are legally obligated to maintain an open and safe passage?
The sidewalk is not a luxury, it is a basic infrastructure of urban life. When it is blocked by untreated vegetation, not only accessibility is compromised, but also the residents' sense of security and trust in the urban system. It now remains to be seen whether the call from the field will be answered with action, or whether it will continue to disappear among the branches.
Haifa Municipality's response:
The Haifa Municipality works on an ongoing basis to prune and maintain vegetation in public areas throughout the city, with the aim of maintaining free, safe and accessible passage for pedestrians. Pruning work is carried out in accordance with work plans and priorities, with emphasis on areas where there is a concern for a safety hazard.
In cases where vegetation is spilling over from private areas into public spaces, the municipality sends letters of demand to property owners, requiring them to carry out pruning and maintenance in accordance with the provisions of the law and municipal regulations, which stipulate that property owners must prevent blocking sidewalks and public crossings.
If there is a specific problem that has not been addressed, we would be happy to receive precise details about the location, and the issue will be reviewed and addressed in accordance with the municipality's authorities.
Yahav is the most failed and harmful mayor who has ever been here.
Keep choosing those who fail time and time again.
Is vegetation the problem with the sidewalks in Haifa? Not the crappy vehicles that block every good corner?!?!?!?!??!!?
🙏Kudos to the "reporter" for raising "attention" to "pedestrian safety"...; Now, let's hope that a comment & enlightenment on this subject will wake up those "responsible" to act to improve/change the "route" for the better... for the sake of "safety and security" for all residents and visitors to ✨️our "beautiful Haifa" 😭😭😭😭😭
Not only is the vegetation encroaching on public space and sidewalks, in Yaffa Nof, the vegetation has completely obscured the view for years, which has not been properly cared for. Along the entire Yaffa Nof promenade, from the donkey stall to the west, the entire issue of pruning has not been addressed, and the view of Chima is unfortunately hidden from the eyes of passersby and tourists. We will take care of it as soon as possible and restore it to its former glory.
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Haifa's main obstacle is the failed old man who heads it.
The sidewalks are an obstacle course, with potholes, protruding manhole covers, broken curbs, and protruding bushes being the least of the evils.
The situation of pedestrians being disturbed by vegetation on sidewalks is not the only obstacle in the city. Sidewalks that have been broken for a long time are also dangerous. Also, tables being taken out onto the sidewalks from restaurants or stores that are selling merchandise, or parking vehicles and motorcycles on sidewalks, also hinder smooth and comfortable passage on sidewalks and force people, including those with strollers or the disabled, to get down onto the dangerous road. This is already a very widespread phenomenon in the city. As is happening, for example, in the A16-40 parking lot. We hope that the municipality and its head will take care to arrange everything as soon as possible for the benefit of the residents who have chosen to manage the city.
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200 sidewalks on Haifa streets are blocked by parked vehicles, maybe 2-3 sidewalks by vegetation.
Please address real issues.
It's time for the municipality to buy thousands of sticks and prevent vehicles from climbing sidewalks.
Take an example from Paris, where there is no such thing as "riding on the sidewalk." There are thin posts that prevent people from riding on sidewalks all over Paris. If Paris can do it, Haifa can too. For those who don't have parking, then there's no parking, not a problem for pedestrians on the streets. Enough to run us over, enough to take us out onto the road to overtake parked vehicles.
It's not a quality of life when the entrance to buildings and schools is blocked by parked vehicles. Enough.
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So, why does the Haifa municipality exist? They pay property taxes to cut down the trees, right?
We have been suffering from this problem for years throughout the Carmelia neighborhood. Sidewalks, which are already narrower than standard, are half-blocked by vegetation that spills from yards to a height of almost a meter. Pedestrians are forced to bend over or risk going down to the road to get around the spilling vegetation. If you contact the municipality, it takes them a few days to send a notice of demand for pruning to the property owners. Then they give an extension of two or three weeks. So sometimes you have to endure the nuisance for an entire month. If it were a nuisance blocking a road, they would surely have taken care of it within a few hours. Unfortunately, pedestrian rights and enforcing the right to maintain accessible passage on sidewalks are at the bottom of the Haifa Municipality's priority list.
Tall trees shedding their leaves on the roof of a four-story building cause a gutter to clog. The result – repeated gutter maintenance expenses. Who is responsible in the Haifa Municipality for addressing this issue?