Green streets systems are maintained by the City, the City’s designated contractors, property owners or through partnerships with social enterprises. Maintenance responsibilities vary depending on the type of infrastructure and its location.
Both the City and the public have a role to play in the maintenance of green streets systems and horticulture in the right-of-way.
All specialized (technical) maintenance of green streets systems in the public right-of-way is the responsibility of the City or its designated contractor. This includes maintenance of stormwater or drainage infrastructure, irrigation monitoring equipment or any other project-specific components. The Life Cycle Activities manual outlines maintenance and monitoring activities that are required by the City or it’s designates to ensure the longevity of green streets assets.
If green streets systems or horticulture are installed in the boulevard, ditch or lawn abutting a residential or commercial property, it is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain any grass or plantings, as per Chapter 743 of the Municipal Code, Use of Streets and Sidewalks (Article V, Maintaining Boulevards). Maintenance activities by property owners may include: litter removal, mowing grass, weeding and cutting back overgrown vegetation.
Traffic islands, traffic circles or centre medians within a roadway may include green streets systems or horticulture, which are maintained by the City.
All City-owned trees will be maintained by the City or its contractors unless there is a formal, legal agreement in place such as with a Business Improvement Area.
Submit a service request for tree maintenance.
In 2021, Green Streets launched the GreenForceTO pilot project, which aims to:
The City partnered with two local Employment Social Enterprises, RAINscapeTO and Building Up, to hire and train individuals from Neighbourhood Improvement Areas or those experiencing barriers to employment for the maintenance of bio-swales, pollinator gardens and other green spaces that are critical to increase the neighbourhoods’ climate resilience and biodiversity.
For more information on the project and to be involved, contact René Fan at rene@torontogreen.ca.