Your snow questions: ANSWERED
As City of Vaughan crews continue to work around the clock to monitor
changing weather and road conditions, the City is answering some of the top
snow-related questions received from residents.
Q. Can
I shovel snow from my driveway onto the road?
A. No. It is illegal to shovel
snow or ice onto the road under the Ontario Highway
Traffic Act and the City’s Dumping By-law
103-2020 (PDF).
Q.
Why is the windrow-clearing machine leaving large piles of snow at the end of
my driveway?
A. Windrow-clearing
machines clear enough space for one vehicle to safely enter and exit the
driveway. This service does not clear windrows left by sidewalk plows and does
not clear hardened snow, ice or the entire driveway. It
is your responsibility to clear the small windrow across a driveway that is
created by sidewalk plows. Please note this service may be impacted by last week’s
snowfall. As more snow accumulates, the pile at the end of your driveway will
grow.
Q.
When will the windrow machine come by my house?
A.
Windrow-clearing
service is typically completed on a street up to four hours after the snowplow
has passed. Please keep in mind these services may be impacted by a number of
factors, including heavy snowfall, cars parked on streets and cars parked on
driveways too close to or hanging over the curb – which make it difficult for
snowplows to clear the roads.
Q.
Why didn’t the windrow from my driveway get cleared at the same time as others
in my neighbourhood?
A. There are a number of
reasons why windrows cannot be cleared at every driveway. For example, cars
parked on the street or driveway but too close to or hanging over the curb make
it unsafe for the machine to clear the windrow. The windrow-clearing
contractors are not required to go back and clear windrows that were missed
under these circumstances.
Q.
How long does it take for the plow to come to my street?
A.
Once five
centimetres (two inches) of snow have accumulated on the ground, our snowplows
begin to service the streets. During a snowfall, we are focused on getting the
City’s main roads cleared first so emergency and transit vehicles get where
they need to go. Main roads, which are travelled more frequently, are plowed
within four hours after snowfall has ended. Residential roads are plowed within
12 hours after snowfall has ended.
Q.
The sidewalk in front of my house has a lot of snow, when will it be cleared?
A. Once five centimetres
(two inches) of snow accumulates on public sidewalks, City crews begin sidewalk
plowing operations. Sidewalks on main roads are serviced first. During heavy
snowfall or Significant Weather Events, these main sidewalk routes may be
salted and plowed more than once before moving on to sidewalks in residential
areas. After
that, plows service paths and walkways within parks. Sidewalks are typically cleared within 48
hours after snowfall has ended. The City clears “main” or "residential"
sidewalks, which are in green and red in this map.
As a reminder, you are encouraged to 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). This applies to homeowners, as well as owners of vacant land, industrial or institutional buildings, whether occupied or unoccupied. If you have hired a contractor to plow your laneway or sidewalk, ensure they do not leave snow from their removal on the road.
Q. When will
the snow be cleared around Canada Post mailboxes?
A. Canada Post maintains the area around its mailboxes and is
responsible for snow clearing. For issues around mailboxes, contact Canada Post online or call 1-866-607-6301.
Q. How can I stay
updated on the City’s winter operations?
A. There are many ways to receive the latest information
on winter operations:
- Visit vaughan.ca/snow
- Contact the Snow Hotline at 905-879-SNOW (7669) or email snow@vaughan.ca
- Follow the City’s official corporate channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and subscribe to Vaughan News