Snow Removal

Salting

• Main roads: are salted as soon as ice or snow forms on the roads – first round of salting completed within four hours.
• Residential roads: are salted/sanded after main roads are complete – first round of salting completed within 12 hours.
• Narrow streets (rear laneways): are salted after main roads are complete – first round of salting completed within 12 hours.

Plowing

• Main roads: are plowed as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulates on the ground and are completed within four hours after snowfall has ended.
• Residential roads: are plowed as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulates on the ground and are completed within 12 hours after snowfall has ended.
• Narrow streets (rear laneways): are plowed as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulates on the ground and are completed within 16 hours after snowfall has ended.
• Courts, also called cul-de-sacs, require the use of special equipment and can take longer to clear. The centre of a court is designed for snow storage. Snow is intentionally piled in the middle of a court and is removed when there is no longer enough room around a pile for safe passage of snowplows, emergency vehicles and garbage collection.

Sidewalks

• Main road sidewalks: are plowed first and as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulates on the ground, including sidewalks around York Region Transit stops (stops are cleared by York Region) and along schools and churches, these routes may be salted and plowed more than once before moving onto residential areas
• Residential sidewalks: sidewalks, crosswalks, school crossings, paths and walkways within parks and private roads are cleared once sidewalks on main roads are complete
• For a full list of maintained sidewalks, view the sidewalk plowing map (PDF).

Industrial Areas

• Business districts: are cleared once snow windrows reach or exceed a height of 45 centimetres (18 inches)
• Other roads: are cleared at the discretion of the City

Windrows

The City’s windrow service is provided to residential driveways fronting Vaughan roadways. Learn more about this service.

Doing your part

If you are a resident or business owner in Vaughan, you too have a part to play during a snowfall to help keep the community safe and winter operations running smoothly.

• Keep cars off the street while snowplows are clearing the roads. This allows crews to safely carry out plowing operations and ensures the City can get the entire street cleared. It is also important to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles. Did you know it’s illegal to park on the street overnight in Vaughan between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.? Read more about this parking by-law.
• Place garbage, recycling and composting bins on the right-hand side of the driveway. Make sure to keep them about one metre (three feet) away from the curb, especially on collection days when plows may be coming.
• Help to keep your community safe for pedestrians by removing the ice and snow on sidewalks in front of and along your property, such as by shoveling and/or covering any slippery areas with sand, salt or other deicing substance.  This applies to you if you are a homeowner, and/or you own vacant land or industrial or institutional buildings, whether occupied or unoccupied. Review the Snow Clearing By-law for more information. Also, if there is a fire hydrant on or near your home or business, please make sure it’s clear of snow.
• It is illegal to shovel snow or ice onto the road. Be mindful of where you are putting snow when you’re shoveling your sidewalk or driveway. Read the Ontario Highway Traffic Act – section 181. If there is a fire hydrant on or near your home or business, please make sure it’s clear of snow.
• Remove anything that may interfere with or be hazardous to plow crews. This includes landscaping features like fencing, hedges, basketball nets, decorative stones, pots, bird baths, etc. Read more about this by-law.
• If there is a catch basin near a home, the resident is responsible to clear the catch basin of snow and ice and a pathway to the catch basin. This allows for proper drainage and helps prevent flooding.

Regional vs. municipal roads – who is responsible for what?

Some streets in Vaughan, such as Bathurst Street, Dufferin Street, Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive, are managed and plowed by York Region. This interactive map highlights (in red) all the roads York Region is responsible to plow in Vaughan.

Do you live on a regional road that hasn’t been plowed yet? Here are all the ways you can contact the Region to get your snowplow update:

• Follow or Tweet @YorkRegionGovt on Twitter using the hashtag #OnYRRoads
• Call York Region Transportation at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 75000
• Email York Region Transportation at transportation@york.ca