Snow Banks Add Obstacles for Those Who Can't Walk

Bjorn Ljungstrom, a 66-year-old retired aeronautical engineer, has a new down-to-the-ground challenge: navigating New Haven’s storm-transformed streets in his motorized scooter.

As a “ride-along” with Ljungstrom demonstrated the other day, the mounds of icy snow that have become semi-permanent landmarks have also made getting around town a special challenge for people who can’t walk.

Ljungstrom started out from his home on Court Street downtown, around the corner from Orange and Chapel streets. The third day of relatively warm weather had melted a significant chunk of the ice and snow that blocked many of the curb cuts downtown, effectively trapping residents who can’t climb over the snow/ice drifts inside their homes. Ljungstrom still encountered plenty of obstacles.

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