Toronto’s 14,700 lane-km of roads and on-street bike 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.
| 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.
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 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | ||
The City will start driveway opening (windrow clearing) of three metres for eligible locations on local roads after each round of local road snow plowing is activated.
Driveway opening/windrow clearing for eligible locations commences on collector and arterial roads after the final round of roadway plowing when windrow height exceeds 25 cm.
Driveway opening/windrow clearing are completed after each round of local road plowing.
Local road plowing can take up to 14 hours to finish clearing residential streets, while driveway windrow clearing operations are performed by separate equipment that travel behind the plowing equipment.
The actual time to complete driveway opening/windrow clearing will vary based on the length of a beat, snowfall accumulations, on-street parked vehicles, other potential obstructions and local road conditions. Driveway windrow clearing operations may generally be completed within two hours of roadway plowing ending, however an actual service level time does not exist due to the many variables, therefore, a consistent time level cannot be committed for each time the City starts driveway opening/windrow clearing operations.
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.