In parts of the country where snow is a regular occurrence, local government almost always provides snow removal from public streets but seldom provides snow removal from public sidewalks. Sidewalk clearing is either left to individual choice or regulated by the government, perhaps by requiring that property owners clear the walks along their property. Yet the theoretical aspects of these two services are the same. What factors might explain why local governments typically don’t plow sidewalks? From the other point of view, why do many localities simply require property owners to clear snow from streets along their property? What does this imply about the standard externality/public goods argument justifying government intervention?