Vaughan is winter ready!

Winter is coming, and Vaughan is ‘snow’ prepared! The City of Vaughan provides citizens with efficient, reliable and high-level winter services – whether it’s reducing ice on roads or clearing snow from local streets, paths and sidewalks, the City’s crews strive to ensure residents and visitors can travel safely regardless of the weather.

The City’s winter maintenance program includes salting, windrow-clearing, plowing and snow removal along more than 2,000 lane-kilometres of roads and 1,000 kilometres of sidewalks throughout the city. With the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, known as the Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS), 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 the adoption of this innovative AI technology in 2020, the City has reduced salt usage by 30 per cent and saved approximately $400,000 to date. This has had a positive impact on the environment, reflects the City’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, and enhances the citizen experience.

With a fleet of more than 100 vehicles comprised of combination salter/snowplow units, windrow machines, sidewalk machines, pickup trucks equipped with plows and salters, cul-de-sac-clearing machines and anti-icing units, staff are ready to take on the Canadian winter as soon as it arrives.

• 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.
• Brining: 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.
• 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.

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

Citizens are encouraged to help the City with winter operations by following these tips.

• Keep cars off the street while snowplows are out to assist the City in ensuring streets are cleared properly and safely. On-street parking is not permitted between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. in Vaughan.
• Clear snow and ice from sidewalks bordering your property within 24 hours after snowfall has ended to help ensure roads and sidewalks remain safe, as stated in By-law 300-93.
• Set waste bins back from the curb approximately one metre on the right-hand side of the driveway (when facing the home). They should never be placed on top of or behind snowbanks. This allows crews to safely collect waste and for the City to clear the snow effectively in residential areas.
• Keep fire hydrants clear and accessible (one metre all around). Blocked, concealed or difficult-to-access fire hydrants can impede emergency fire response.
• Keep catch basins and culverts clear of snow and debris to help prevent potential flooding during temperature fluctuations.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.  

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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