Toronto’s 14,700 km of road lanes, 7,900 km of sidewalks and 486 lane-km of cycle tracks (including separated bike lanes, on-road bike lanes and multi-use trails) is cleared by a fleet of approximately 1,400 pieces of snow clearing equipment.
24-hour patrols continuously check road conditions and staff monitor weather forecasts and pavement temperature. Even before the snow starts to fall, crews swing into action and work continuously until the storm is over.
When Roads are Salted & Plowed
Road Type
When does the City start salting?
How many hours does it take to salt each round?*
When does the City start plowing?
How many hours does it take to plow each round?*
Expressways (Don Valley Parkway & Gardiner Expressway)
When snow first accumulates
2 hours
2.5 cm
2 hours
Major roads, transit routes and streets with hills
When snow first accumulates
4 hours
5 cm
6-8 hours
Residential streets
When snow first accumulates
8 hours
8 cm
14 hours
*It may take multiple rounds to clear a road due to ongoing snowfall.
Direct Liquid Application (brine)
In advance of snow or ice, anti-ice trucks will apply salt brine to expressways, hills and bridges. People who drive should always keep a safe distance behind the brine trucks. You can tell where salt brine has been applied by the grey lines left by the salt on the road surface.
Initiation Level
Maximum Operating Time
Required Outcome
Expressway
As required
6 hours
Visible salt residue
Arterials
As required
6 hours
Visible salt residue
Collector
As required
6 hours
Visible salt residue
Salting Operations
Initiation Level
Maximum Operating Time
Required Outcome
Expressway
< 2.5 cm
2 hours
Bare pavement
Arterials
< 5 cm
4 hours
Bare pavement
Collector
< 8 cm
4 hours
Centre bare
Local Roads
< 8 cm
8 hours
Safe and passable
Laneways
24 hours from end of snowfall
Safe and passable
Plowing Operations
Initiation Level
Maximum Operating Time
Required Outcome
Expressway
2.5 cm
2 hours
Bare pavement
Arterials
5 cm
6 hours
Bare pavement
Collector
8 cm
8 hours
Centre bare
Local Roads
8 cm
14 hours
Safe and passable
Windrow Clearing
Same as adjacent roadway plus 2 hours
Safe and passable
Combined Salting & Plowing Operations
Initiation Level
Maximum Operating Time
Required Outcome
Sidewalks
2 cm
12 hours
Safe and passable
Bus Stops & Pedestrian Crossovers
2 cm
16 hours
Safe and passable
All Cycling Infrastructure
2 cm
8 hours
Safe and passable / Bare pavement
Hand Crews
Same as work area
Required Outcome Definitions
Example of a “safe and passable” residential street after snow clearing.
Bare pavement: denotes fully cleared snow from a driving surface.
Centre bare: indicates 2.5 m of snow is cleared from the centre of a driving surface.
Safe and passable: a road surface that is free from as much ice and snow as is practical and may be traveled safely at reasonable speed.
Residential Streets
Using a specialized machine that follows the snow plows, crews will clear three meter wide driveway openings on eligible residential streets.
Collector and Arterial Roads
Using a specialized machine that follows the snow plows, crews will clear three meter wide driveway openings on eligible collector and arterial roads if the windrow (snow pile) exceeds 25 centimeters.
Timeline
We aim to clear three meter wide driveway windrows within two hours of road plowing. However, the time needed to complete windrow clearing depends on a variety of factors such as the size of the plow driver’s route, the amount of snow that has accumulated, on-street parking and other potential obstructions.
Winter Contracts
City Council approved 11 consolidated contracts to deliver winter maintenance services for all roads, bikeways and sidewalks within a precise geographic zone . The 11 new contracts began November 2022 and will continue for seven years, with three additional single option years. The City’s new contracts use an industry-leading, customer-focused approach and are designed to deliver a number of improvements and innovations.