Vaughan is ready for the winter!

Don’t let the beautiful weather this week fool you … winter is coming! The good news is, Vaughan is ‘snow’ prepared! The City of Vaughan provides citizens with efficient, reliable and high-level winter services – whether it’s addressing ice on roads or clearing snow from local streets, paths and sidewalks, the City’s crews strive to ensure everyone can travel safely regardless of the weather. 

With a fleet of more than 230 vehicles, the City’s winter maintenance program is ready to take on the Canadian winter with salting, windrow-clearing, plowing and snow removal along more than 2,200 lane-kilometres of roads and over 1,200 kilometres of sidewalks and park walkways. 

Here are some highlights of the City’s winter operations: 

• Snowplowing: Plowing begins as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow have accumulated on public roads and sidewalks. 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. 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 and park walkways.
• 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 treated 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.
• Anti-icing: Before a snowfall, the City prepares 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.
• 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 home’s 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. 

With the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, known as the Maintenance Decision Support System, the City leverages weather forecasts, data from actual road conditions and Vaughan’s operating best practices to recommend treatment for the City’s roads and sidewalks. Since adopting this innovative AI technology in 2020, the City has reduced salt usage by 30 per cent and saved approximately $400,000. This has had positive impacts on the environment, reflects the City’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and enhances the citizen experience. 

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

How you can do your part to get winter ready 

Everyone has a role to play this winter:

• Keep cars off the street and sidewalks while snowplows are out to assist the City in ensuring streets are cleared properly and safely. Unless otherwise posted or allowed by permit, on-street parking is not allowed for more than three hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and prohibited on all streets between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
• 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 the driveway (when facing the home). The right side of your driveway is defined as the right side when standing at the curb facing your home. They should never be placed on top of or behind snowbanks. This allows crews to collect waste safely and for the City to clear the snow effectively in residential areas.
• Keep fire hydrants on your property 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 on your property clear of snow and debris, if it’s safe to do so, to prevent potential flooding during temperature fluctuations.
• Remove anything from your property 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. These items should be placed more than 30 centimetres away from a sidewalk or one metre away from a street curb. 
• Be mindful of where snow is placed. It is illegal to shovel snow or ice onto the road as per the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and the City’s Dumping By-law 103-2020 (PDF). 
• Stay off the roads during a heavy snowstorm unless it is essential. Residents can also use York Region Transit to get around the city during inclement weather.
• Clean snow off all surfaces of your vehicle before driving and stay well back from snowplows and salting equipment.  

CHATS Snow Removal Program
CHATS is a not-for-profit organization providing home and community support to older adults across York Region and South Simcoe since 1980. The CHATS Snow Removal program in Vaughan is a paid service that connects individuals to pre-approved service providers – quotes for winter snow clearance services are also provided at this time. The cost for snow clearing is paid for by the homeowner. Paid services offered include driveway snow clearing, walkways clearing to the front/main door and delivery of two 20-kilogram (44-pound) bags of salt, if requested, for the resident to use on their walkways at no extra charge (service does not include application of the salt). This program is available to Vaughan residents aged 55 and older or with age-related illnesses, for up to a maximum of 100 residents for the winter season. 

The CHATS Snow Removal Program is available from Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022 until Saturday, April 15, 2023. As capacity is limited, early registration is encouraged and can be done by calling 1-866-677-9048, ext. 7669 (SNOW), emailing snow@chats.on.ca or by going online at chats.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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