In the picture, a winter cycling agent points at a route that has been brush-salted and another that has been maintained using standard winter maintenance. In Helsinki, it is not practically possible to ride only on brush-salted routes, so studded tires are necessary in any case.
Anne Helander asked in her opinion piece (HS 11.1., https://www.hs.fi/mielipide/art-2000010956617.html, in Finnish) whether Helsinki is being built only for cyclists or for people of all ages and called on candidates to state their positions on the prioritization of winter maintenance. This is my first time running for the City Council, so I have not yet been involved in deciding winter maintenance policies. If elected, the winter maintenance of pedestrian pathways will be very high on my priority list. It must be possible to walk safely, whether one has mobility issues or is pushing a stroller.
I myself am not only a pedestrian but also drive a car when needed and commute by bike 10 km each way year-round. This winter, for the first time, I am also acting as a Winter Cycling Agent, a joint initiative between the Helsinki Region Cyclists (HePo) and the City of Helsinki. As an agent, I report monthly on the quality of winter maintenance along my commuting route on Helsinki’s main cycling corridors. There is still room for improvement in the winter maintenance of Helsinki’s light traffic routes, both pedestrian and cycling paths. It should never happen that snow and slush from one path are simply plowed onto another, causing long-term inconvenience for other users, as often occurs along my commute.
A Helsingin Sanomat article (HS 11.1., https://www.hs.fi/helsinki/art-2000010951054.html, in Finnish) highlighted a route where a brush-salted, clear and dry cycling path ran parallel to a slushy pedestrian walkway. Personally, I am not particularly enthusiastic about brush-salting cycle paths. If eliminating or reducing it would allow for improved snow removal on light traffic routes in general, I would be open to considering such a change based on what I know now.
On a brush-salted route, cycling conditions are like those in summer, but since everyone should already be using studded tires in winter, the benefit of having a perfectly clean surface is partially wasted. Riding on clean asphalt also wears down the studs, and salt accelerates rust on bicycles.
I submitted this text as a response to Anne Helander’s opinion piece in Helsingin Sanomat, but as of January 15th, it has not been published. I also shared the post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10163149204627780&set=a.10152732458782780.