Snow is making its way to Vaughan

The first snowfall of the season is on its way – beginning tonight through to Wednesday morning – and the City of Vaughan is ready! The team is working to ensure residents and visitors can travel safely regardless of the weather … but are you prepared? There are a number of ways you can help ensure the City’s winter operations run smoothly, efficiently and safely: 

• Keep cars off the street while snowplows are out to help the City ensure streets are cleared properly and safely. On-street parking is not permitted between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. in Vaughan. As outlined in the City’s Parking By-law (PDF), on-street parking that interferes with snow-clearing operations is prohibited. Vehicles found in violation may be subject to a $75 fine or towed at the owner’s expense.
• Clear snow and ice from sidewalks bordering your property  to help ensure roads and sidewalks remain safe, as stated in the City’s Snow Clearing By-law 227-2022 (PDF).
• Set waste bins back from the curb approximately one metre on the right-hand side of your driveway, where possible (when facing the home). They should never be placed on top of or behind snowbanks.
• Keep fire hydrants clear and accessible (one metre all around). Blocked, concealed or difficult-to-access fire hydrants can impede emergency fire response.
• Help keep catch basins and culverts clear of snow and debris to help prevent potential flooding during temperature fluctuations, if it’s safe to do so.
• Remove anything that may interfere with or be hazardous to plow crews. This includes landscaping features, such as fencing, basketball nets, decorative stones, pots, bird baths, furniture and more, as stated in the City’s Encroachment By-law 034-2017 (PDF).No such items should be within 30 centimetres of a sidewalk or within one metre of a street curb.
• Be mindful of where shoveled snow is placed. It is illegal to shovel snow or ice onto the road under both the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and the City’s Dumping By-law 103-2020 (PDF).
• Clean snow off all vehicle surfaces before driving and keep a safe distance from snowplows and salting equipment.   

Winter operations 

The City provides citizens with efficient and reliable winter services – whether it’s reducing ice on roads or clearing snow from local streets, paths and sidewalks, the City’s crews strive to take on whatever the Canadian winter has in store. Here are some of the services provided: 

• Anti-icing: Before a snowfall, the City helps prepare roads by spraying brine, a liquid made of rock salt and water. It is sprayed on the road surface in anticipation of freezing temperatures to prevent the formation of black ice or in advance of a winter snow event. The liquid brine works immediately as a barrier, so precipitation doesn't stick to the road and slippery conditions are avoided.
• Snowplowing: Plowing begins as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow have accumulated on public roads. The City aims to plow all roads within 16 hours after a snowfall has ended. Main roads are plowed first within four hours to keep them clear for emergency and transit vehicles before moving to residential areas.
• Salting: During a heavy snowfall or major storm, the City will salt and clear sidewalks in main public areas before moving to residential areas. Residential streets are cleared within 12 hours after a snowfall has ended. Services on major roads in Vaughan, such as Bathurst Street, Dufferin Street, Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive, are maintained by York Region. For a full list of regional roads, visit york.ca/roads. Sidewalks are cleared within 48 hours after a snowfall has ended. The priority is sidewalks on main roads, followed by sidewalks on residential side streets.
• Windrow-clearing: The City offers a windrow-clearing service to residents. Within four hours after the plow has passed, the residential windrow-clearing machines will clear a portion of the driveway entrance to allow a car to pass through. The service does not clear windrows left by sidewalk plows and does not clear hardened snow, ice or the entire driveway. 

For more information on the City’s winter operations, visit vaughan.ca/snow. 

Throughout the winter months, the City of Vaughan is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens, implementing process efficiencies to deliver effective and efficient road maintenance and providing exceptional end-to-end citizen-centred services. These objectives are part of the Operational Performance, Active, Safe and Diverse Communities and Citizen Experience priorities in the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan. 

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