The City of Vaughan maintains all roads based on priority criteria, as approved by Vaughan Council. Roads are classified into Primary roads, Secondary roads, and Rear laneways.

The City's main objective during a storm is to keep the Primary roads clear for emergency and transit vehicles by salting or ploughing procedures. Only after these roads are deemed to be clear, are clearing operations commenced on Secondary roads. Rear laneways are only salted or ploughed (as necessary) after both the Primary and Secondary roads have been completed.

Primary Roads - Ploughing

• Road ploughing operations commence on Primary roads when snow accumulations reach 5 cm, or 2 inches.
• Circumstances permitting, one complete pass of road ploughing of Primary roads should be completed within 4 hours of starting operations, based on an average snowfall, and completion of operations within 4 hours after the cessation of the snowfall.

Primary Roads – Salting

• In snowstorms with accumulations of less than 5cm or 2”, the specific course of action will be determined by the Supervisor, taking into account snow depths, type of snow, drifting, icy conditions etc.
• It is the objective that salting be used to maintain Primary roads in a bare pavement condition, but it is acknowledged that this may not be possible due to temperature, severity of the storm, or other conditions.
• Circumstances permitting, one complete pass of road salting will be completed within 4 hours of starting salting operations.
• NOTE: Sand WILL be applied to any primary rural area gravel roads

Secondary Roads - Ploughing

• Road ploughing on Secondary roads commence when accumulations exceed 5 cm or 2 inches, but only after all Primary roads have been completed.
• Circumstances permitting, one complete pass of road ploughing will be completed within 12 hours of starting ploughing operations on secondary roads, based on an average snowfall, and that operations be complete 12 hours after the cessation of the snowfall.

Secondary Roads – Salting

• In snowstorms with accumulations of less than 5cm or 2”, the specific course of action will be determined by the Supervisor, taking into account snow depths, type of snow, drifting, icy conditions etc. If salting is required, operations shall commence on Secondary roads, but only after all Primary roads have been maintained.
• Circumstances permitting, one complete pass of road salting should be completed within 12 hours of starting salting / sanding operations on Secondary roads.
• It is the objective that salting will maintain Secondary roads in a limited bare pavement condition, but it is acknowledged that this may not be possible due to temperature, severity of the storm, or other conditions.
• NOTE: Sand WILL be applied to any secondary rural area gravel roads

Rear Lanes

• Rear lanes are maintained only after all other roads have been completed.
• Rear lanes are maintained through the application of salt.
• Circumstances permitting, if snow and ice accumulations reach 15 cm or 6 inches, or if severe rutting occurs, snow removal will be commenced.

Sidewalks – Ploughing

The Parks and Forestry Operations Department is responsible for the management of all municipal parks, open spaces, City trees, and winter sidewalk maintenance.

Winter sidewalk maintenance involves the removal of snow and ice from sidewalks located on City and Regional roads and selected park pathways leading to schools. This is done through the use of specialized snow ploughing equipment on predetermined routes.

Snow removal operations on City owned sidewalks will only commence when accumulations of snow have reached 5 cm (2”).

Primary Sidewalks are cleared within approximately 8 hours of commencing operations. Once the Primary Sidewalks are completed, the crews start clearing snow from the Secondary Sidewalks.

For clarity, a Primary Sidewalk is a municipally owned sidewalk on a street serviced by York Region Transit within the City of Vaughan, as well as sidewalks adjacent to schools or places of worship.

A Secondary Sidewalk includes all other municipally owned sidewalks and pathways leading to schools through municipal parks, where the school and park are adjacent to each other.

In the event of a continuous snow storm that lasts for 24 hours or more, or a storm stops and starts again within a 24 hour period, crews will focus on clearing the Primary Sidewalks, and Secondary Sidewalks will be addressed only after all the Primary Sidewalks are deemed completed.

Windrow Clearing

• A ratio of one windrow-clearing machine to each road plough will be maintained during ploughing operations.

Continuing Storms

• Priority for service will continue based on the higher class of road or sidewalk receiving service before any lower class of road or sidewalk.

Accidents and Vehicle Breakdown

• It is acknowledged that in cases of accidents, mechanical breakdown, or other operational problems, these objectives may not be met.

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