While it's not OK to block people's path, it's kind of OK to block people's path, because exactly one person has been fined by the city for leaving the sidewalk in front of their property unshoveled since a very snowy and icy February began.
Slippery, impassible sidewalks aren't technically the city government's problem. It's well documented that the problem is actually yours. The solution depends on whether people file a complaint. It also depends on whether people are being good people because Denver's team of inspectors is too small to really make a dent.
"Our ultimate goal is to help residents and business owners understand their responsibilities in getting their sidewalks cleared," said Amanda Weston, a spokesperson for Denver Community Planning and Development. "With over 3,000 miles of sidewalks in Denver, we are working through as many inspection requests as we can each day, but it's impossible to cover that much ground daily."
One person has been ticketed $150. That was on Thursday, Weston said. Inspectors are still working through hundreds of cases that begin with warnings and end with a ticket only if a followup reveals the warning didn't scare the owner into shoveling. Inspectors have issued 347 warnings for residential properties and 74 for commercial properties.
"It's truly a partnership and we need everyone's help to ensure our sidewalks are safe and usable," Weston said.
Hopefully, your walking or wheeling path goes by the home or business of one of said partners.
