Snow Clearing Priorities

• City Streets

  Arterial Roads

  Within 4 Hours 
  Roads like Fortune Drive, Columbia Street, and the Summit Connector carry the highest volume of traffic and are the first to receive attention. 

  Collectors and Bus Routes

  Within 16 Hours 
  Lethbridge Avenue, Springhill Drive, and Ord Road are examples of roads that receive second priority during and after snow events. 

  Residential Streets

  Within 36 Hours 
  Our goal is to sand or plow residential streets as necessary within 36 hours of the end of a snowfall. Residential streets are not returned to a bare pavement condition. As long as snow continues to fall, City crews will continue to address arterial roads for emergency vehicles and most traffic before moving onto the lower priority roads. 

  Within each of the three categories above, priority will be given to hills over level streets.

  

  Road Classification Map

• City Properties (public buildings, parks, community centres, and walkways)

  City staff are responsible for maintaining snow and ice control on municipal properties. Municipal properties consist of public buildings, parks, community centres, and walkways.

  The Civic Operations Department clears snow from the sidewalks adjacent to any City-owned properties, such as community centres, swimming pools, arenas, parking lots, parkades, pedestrian overpasses, and at the wheelchair crossing ramps in the downtown and Tranquille business areas.

  Priorities for snow and ice control on municipal properties is governed by Council Policy CO-1.
  
  Under the new policy, the priorities for the active transportation network, parking lots, and access roads are consistent. These priorities are now based on response times, similar to the successful model used for roads.

  What’s changing?

  • Priority 1 parking lots and access roads will be cleared within 24 hours after the end of a snow event. 
  • Priority 2 parking lots, access roads, and designated hand-route pathways will be cleared within 72 hours after the end of a snow event. 
  • Some pathways that were previously cleared sooner will now fall within the 72-hour Priority 2 timeframe.
• Sidewalks

  City crews try to plow snow off roadways without placing it onto sidewalks, but this still sometimes happens.

  The City's Road Right-Of-Way Bylaw requires that every owner or occupier of private property maintain all sidewalks adjacent to their property, to ensure sidewalks are free of accumulated snow and ice. In residential areas, it is required that snow and ice be removed each day in a timely manner after a snow fall. All other properties, including commercial properties, must have any accumulated snow and ice removed from the sidewalks before 10:00 am of every day except Sunday.

  The cooperation of property owners/occupiers is appreciated to maintain and promote safe and accessible sidewalks, free of ice and snow for pedestrian travel during winter months.