The local government is asking residents who live beside some of Barrington’s newest sidewalks to not use salt to treat and de-ice those sidewalks, as the salt can damage those new surfaces. Instead, Barrington urges residents to clear the sidewalks of snow and ice frequently, and then use sand if necessary to treat them for traction.

In addition to the helpful memo posted on the town’s website, perhaps Barrington could go a step further and provide free sand for those living in areas where the new sidewalks exist. This could be accomplished by setting up barrels of the sand in those critical areas, or by providing a complimentary supply at the DPW headquarters on Upland Way, or both.

Everyone who visits the local Ace Hardware, or nearby Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, etc., knows how prevalent the de-icing salt supplies are these days. Pallets greet customers near every entrance.

Maybe the best way for the town to steer residents away from the salt pallets and toward more desirable behaviors is to give them a nudge. We’re not too old to remember when the town once had brown-paper leaf bags at the DPW headquarters. A previous iteration of town government ended the decades-old service, apparently believing it was too costly. 

In this case, free sand might prove less costly than paying to repair brand-new sidewalks.