Spring Preparedness Operations Update - March 19, 2024
It’s looking like winter may be in the rear view mirror, but it’s still March, nighttime lows are well below zero and a winter weather event could pop up at any time. One thing we know for sure, the season will change, and the Roads and Parking Services team will be ready to spring into action!
Getting ready for street sweeping operations
Over the past couple of weeks, you may have seen our street sweeping equipment in some neighborhoods as staff have been testing equipment and finalizing operational plans in preparation of the spring cleanup of our transportation network. This week, our crews will begin street sweeping some arterial roads (weather permitting) and cleaning up sidewalks, bus stops and medians throughout the city using sidewalk sweepers, leaf blowers and hand brooms.
How is city-wide street sweeping completed?
City-wide street sweeping is done in phases:
- Sidewalks, bus stop pads and medians are cleaned first by a variety of methods using sidewalk sweepers, leaf blowers, flusher trucks and hand brooms.
- A sidewalk sweeper will work in the area first, pushing grit, debris and dust onto the roadway. A vacuum sweeper or mechanical sweeper truck then picks up the majority of grit, debris, small particles and dust removing it from the road.
- This operation might be repeated several times to ensure a clean surface. If vehicles are parked on the street, the unswept area is noted and crews will return to sweep that portion at a later date.
Street Sweeping in Concentrated Areas
In urban neighbourhoods that support continuous on-street parking year-round, we complete what is known as concentrated street sweeping. Concentrated street sweeping operations are an important and necessary requirement in the urban neighbourhoods to efficiently move through the streets. Unlike city-wide street sweeping operations, parking restrictions are in effect in neighbourhoods where concentrated street sweeping is underway. Residents are required to move their cars to allow street sweeping operations to be completed, and signage will be posted to alert residents when these operations are scheduled to take place.
When to expect operations to begin
The Roads and Parking Services team continues to monitor the forecast and meet regularly to determine the right timing for cleanup, street sweeping operations and spring maintenance activities to begin. More information regarding the commencement of concentrated street sweeping and city-wide street sweeping will be shared in the coming days.
As the seasons are in a period of transition, the team must also be ready for a winter weather event. March is an unpredictable month and there remains a possibility of snow or freezing rain in the forecast. The team continues to balance what is needed to respond to winter weather, while preparing for spring maintenance.
A peek at potholes
Crews continue their work on temporary pothole repairs. Since January, pothole crews have been working on temporary repairs, over 700 crews have been assigned and filled over 46,900 potholes! This is an increase of 30% compared to last year where the number of potholes filled between January 1 and March 18, 2023, was 35,983.
For residents wishing to report a pothole, a service request can be created online.
Next steps
I am committed to keeping you informed on our spring maintenance activities over the coming weeks. An email will be sent to the affected Councillors informing them of the exact date annual concentrated sweeping operations will begin, along with specific information about what to expect. Similarly, an email to Council will be sent detailing information on city-wide street sweeping operations along with the date it will begin.
Council will also receive a memo on the broader Public Works seasonal transition in the coming days.
We appreciate your patience as we prepare for street sweeping and spring operations.
When roads and sidewalks get plowed
Snow clearing is done using a road-priority system, with high-use, emergency and transit routes cleared first:
- At the start of accumulation:
- Highway 174, the Transitway, major roads and arterials.
- After the last snowflake has fallen, these routes may take 2 to 4 hours to complete.
- 2.5 centimetres accumulation:
- Sidewalks in the downtown core and the winter cycling network
- After the last snowflake has fallen, these routes may take up to 4 hours to complete
- 5 centimetres accumulation:
- Secondary roads and minor collectors such as Wall Road, Dovercourt Avenue, Donald Street, Springbrook Drive, etc.
- After the last snowflake has fallen, these routes may take up to 6 hours to complete
- 5 centimetres accumulation:
- Residential sidewalks
- After the last snowflake has fallen, these routes may take 12 to 16 hours to complete
- 7 or more centimetres of accumulation
- Residential roads and lanes such as Billings Bridge, Waverley Street, Smith Road, etc.
- After the last snowflake has fallen, these routes may take 10 to 16 hours to complete.
Timelines are suspended if a Significant Weather Event is declared as operations will be carried out based on the capacity of resources in as continuous a manner as practicable.
Plowing through a winter storm
After a severe snowstorm, operators may have to plow a street twice. Sometimes a grader or dump truck with front and wing plows will do a first pass, followed by a sand/salt truck, to clear a small amount of snow and make sanding/salting more effective.
To clear a cul-de-sac, operators will push the remaining snow to the centre or outside of the street, depending on the available area.
In the early winter, the City removes ruts that have formed on snow-packed surfaces. This keeps catch basin open and helps prevent flooding.
Significant Weather Events
What is a “Significant Weather Event”?
A “Significant Weather Event” (SWE) is defined as an approaching or occurring weather hazard with the potential to pose a significant danger to users of the highways within a municipality. Weather Hazards are determined by Environment Canada as meeting the criteria for the issuance of an alert under its Public Weather Alerting Program.
This declaration suspends the Maintenance Quality Standards (MQS) timelines required for our City to meet our winter maintenance objectives. This declaration will remain in place until the City formally declares the Significant Weather Event has ended. Once an event has ended, standard timelines for winter maintenance activities will begin.
Why would we need to declare a “Significant Weather Event”?
The intent of a declaration is to notify the public that due to the forecasted or current weather conditions, caution is to be exercised when travelling on the City’s sidewalks, pathways, roads and the winter cycling network, and that it will take longer than usual to restore them to the expected condition.
Is Ottawa the only city that declares “Significant Weather Events”?
Many cities and municipalities in Ontario declare “Significant Weather Events”. Under the Ontario Regulation 239/02, Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways, made under the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, municipalities have been given the authority to declare a Significant Weather Event when a weather hazard is approaching or occurring and has the potential to pose a significant hazard to users of the highways in which the municipality has authority over.
Based on the legislation, a municipality may declare a Significant Weather Event when Environment Canada has issued an alert under its Public Weather Alerting Program. The municipality must also determine that an approaching or occurring winter event locally meets the criteria for a weather hazard, and in its judgement, also poses a significant danger to users of the highway.
How will I know the City has declared a “Significant Weather Event”?
When a Significant Weather Event has been declared, the City will:
- Inform Council
- Post a notice on Ottawa.ca/winter
- Send a PSA to media
- Provide an update on the City’s Social Media accounts including Twitter and Facebook
- Update the voice recording residents hear while calling 3-1-1 with notice of the event
- Residents do not need to speak to a call centre agent in order to hear the recording
When the event has ended, the City will also post / share the notice indicating the Significant Weather Event has been lifted using the same tools.
What should a resident do when they see the City of Ottawa has declared a “Significant Weather Event”?
We will declare a Significant Weather Event when there is an occurring or expected weather hazard with the potential to pose a significant danger to users of our City’s sidewalks, pathways, roads and the winter cycling network. During such an event, residents are encouraged to limit travel to only essential trips outside of their home. Those who cannot are reminded to exercise caution based on the conditions of the transportation network, and to offer our snow clearing vehicles space to do their jobs.
During a Significant Weather Event, our winter operations will continue. We will continue to clear and treat the sidewalks, pathways, roads and winter cycling network – we just won’t complete our work within our Maintenance Quality Standards timelines.
Residents should sign up for Winter Weather Parking Ban e-Alerts to be alerted to an upcoming parking ban. A winter weather parking ban may be called at any time during the winter, including during a Significant Weather Event.
During a Significant Weather Event, all available resources will be deployed, and we will be asking residents to refrain from calling 3-1-1 or creating a service request for anything other than an emergency.
Clearing snow from your property
- Do not push snow and ice on the street, sidewalk or park.
- Keep fire hydrants free of snow.
- Use wood, plastic or fibreglass driveway markers, which should be no larger than a hockey stick.
- Open catch basins or drains in front of your property when the weather becomes mild.
- Catch basins are identified by a yellow “T” bar painted on the roadway.
A snow windrow is a pile of snow that accumulates at the end of driveways and on the sides of streets during plowing. It is the responsibility of the home owner to remove their own driveway windrows.
Snow fences
Snow fences reduce the build-up of drifting snow and ice on roads, and improve visibility for motorists. The City installs wood-slat snow fences or partners with local farmers for corn or tree fences.
Plant a snow fence
The City encourages landowners who plant corn to participate in the Alternative Snow Fencing Program.
In late summer, participating landowners leave six to 12 rows of standing corn parallel to the road and 20 metres from the road’s right-of-way property line. In December, landowners are paid an amount based on the market value per tonne of the unharvested corn, the yield of tonnes per acre, the actual acres standing and for spring clean-up work
In non-agricultural areas, landowners can plant trees 20 metres from the right-of-way property line.
To find out more, please call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).
Snow removal operations
Snowbanks on the City’s transportation network are removed or reduced in size when they begin to restrict sightlines, travel widths, or pedestrian, vehicular, and cycling traffic. Residents are responsible for snowbanks along their private driveway.
Snowbank removal operations come secondary to standard snow clearing operations (i.e., when there is a storm, and teams must plow and/or treat roads). If snowbank removal operations are underway and a storm begins or is approaching, teams may temporarily be redeployed to respond to the changing conditions. Snowbank removal operations will resume once clearing and/or treating is complete.
What to expect
Before snowbank removal operations begin, signs will be posted in the snowbanks of streets where operations are scheduled to take place:
- Parking is prohibited in areas where snow bank removal is taking place and drivers are required to abide by posted signage. Parking permit holders are not exempt from snow removal operations. Failure to remove a vehicle from a zone where temporary no stopping signs are posted will result in a ticket, and the vehicle will be towed to a nearby street.
Signs are not removed before operations begin as this would very time consuming but most importantly, too dangerous for teams to be working in front of the blades. Instead, signs are made using biodegradable material along with the snow, are blown into the trucks and are then brought to the snow storage facilities where they will be disposed of accordingly.
To keep our teams safe, signs are not removed before operations begin as it is too dangerous to be working in front of the blades.
Looking for your towed vehicle? Please call 3-1-1.
Snow clearing
Snow clearing maintenance standards
The City aims to keep streets clear of snow for everybody's safety.
Roads are classified based on their importance to Ottawa's transportation network. When a snowstorm begins, City crews clear snow on high priority roads, main arterials and collectors.
The City of Ottawa has developed maintenance standards for snow and ice control.
Snow disposal facilities
The City’s snow disposal facilities no longer accept non-city snow from private operators. They continue to accept snow from contractors hauling snow from public property on behalf of the City of Ottawa.
Snow plow contractors – business licensing
Every snow plow contractor must obtain a snow plow contractors license.
This schedule does not apply to:
- people who clear snow with a shovel or with a manual snow-blower.
- farmers who only clear snow to help out the community.
Corn row fencing
Corn row fencing is more effective than wooden snow fences in rural areas. Prior to the winter season, farmers and the City of Ottawa enter into an agreement to participate in the program. The City compensates landowners for the pre-negotiated market value of unharvested corn.
Replacement of damaged mailboxes by snow plow
Occasionally rural roadside mailboxes are damaged or destroyed by snow plows.
- Mailboxes will be repaired or replaced as determined by the Roads Department Supervisor.
- Mailboxes damaged by the snow that comes off the wing of the snow plow will not be eligible for repair or replacement.
- Mailboxes will be replaced by something basic; do not expect to receive your original mailbox.
- Damaged posts will be replaced by a temporary post with permanent repairs undertaken in the spring after the frost is gone.
To report a damaged mailbox, call the City of Ottawa at 3-1-1 or report online at ServiceOttawa.ca.
Salt and abrasive materials (grit)
The City applies dry salt, wet salt, liquid brine and abrasive materials (such as a grit mix) on streets. Salt is spread early during a snowstorm to make a brine solution that prevents the ice from sticking to the asphalt.
To minimize salt use, rock salt is sprayed with a liquid de-icer as it is spread. This speeds up ice melting by making the salt sticky so it can adhere to the road.
Abrasive materials such as grit are used to increase traction in colder temperatures when salt is not effective.
Garbage and recycling collection during a winter storm
Place garbage containers and bags and recycling bins at the curb. Do not place them behind or on top of snow banks.
Help make sidewalks safe
To make sidewalks safe to walk on in the winter, the City provides do-it-yourself grit boxes close to steep hills and in areas where there are many pedestrians, seniors and persons using mobility devices. Residents are encouraged to spread the grit on slippery spots on sidewalks and other problem areas.
Where to find grit boxes
- 100 Constellation Drive
- 100 Empress Avenue
- 1200 Quigley Hill Road
- 150 MacLaren Street
- 207 Woodroffe Avenue
- 221 Nelson Street
- 25 Fairmont Avenue
- 264 Lisgar Street
- 2947 Otterson Drive, at the Otterson Tunnel
- 31 McEwen Avenue
- 327 Cyr Avenue
- 395 Somerset Street West
- 4120 Riverside Drive
- 434 Brunskill Way
- 441 Edgeworth Avenue
- 5550 Ann Street
- 587 Fielding Drive, at the Otterson Tunnel
- 60 Cartier Street
- 61 McEwen Avenue
- 73 Rideau Street
- 75 Bruyère Street
- 77 Monk Street
- 800 St. Laurent Boulevard
- 905 Springland Drive, at the Flannery Tunnel
- 917 Cromwell Drive, at the Flannery Tunnel
- Corner of Beausoleil Drive and Cobourg Street
- Corner of Carling Avenue and Britannia Road
- Corner of Connaught Avenue and Sackville Street
- Corner of Dalhousie Street and Bolton Street
- Corner of Danforth Avenue and Churchill Avenue North
- Corner of Deschênes Street and Pooler Avenue
- Corner of Edgecliffe Avenue and Caldwell Avenue
- Corner of Elgin Street and Slater Street, south of the ramp
- Corner of George Street and William Street, by the pedestrian mall
- Corner of Heney Street and Wurtemburg Street
- Corner of Lacasse Avenue and Montreal Road
- Corner of Laurier Avenue West and Metcalfe Street
- Corner of Lenester Avenue and Iroquois Road
- Corner of Lepage Avenue and McBride Street
- Corner of MacLaren Street and Elgin Street
- Corner of Osgoode Main Street and Vance Street
- Corner of Maple Lane and Acacia Avenue
- Corner of Meadowlands Drive East and Chesterton Drive
- Corner of Metcalfe Street and MacLaren Street
- Corner of Morisset Avenue and Merivale Road
- Corner of New Orchard and Richmond Road
- Corner of Ohio Street and Bank Street
- Corner of Ravenhill Avenue and Melbourne Avenue
- Corner of Rideau Street and Charlotte Street
- Corner of Rideau Street and Colonel By Drive
- Corner of Rideau Street and Mackenzie Avenue
- Corner of Rideau Street and Wurtemburg Street
- Corner of Sunnyside Avenue and Bank Street
- Corner of Sunnyside Avenue and Riverdale Avenue
- Corner of Trépanier Lane and Sparkle Street
- Corner of York Street and William Street
- Northeast corner of Albert Street and Metcalfe Street
- Northeast corner of Gladstone Avenue and Rochester Street
- Northwest corner of Bank Street and MacLaren Street
- Southeast corner of Elgin Street and Cooper Street
- Southeast corner of Albert Street and Empress Avenue
- Southwest corner of Booth Street and Elm Street
- Southwest corner of Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue West
- Dead end of Augusta Street, near Beausoleil Drive
- Dead end of Echo Drive, near Avenue Road and Riverdale Avenue
- 67 Balsam Street
- Gladstone Avenue between Bayswater Avenue and Spadina Avenue
- 975 Gladstone Avenue
- Base of pathway at King Edward Avenue and Union Street
- Laurier Avenue Bridge, near the stairs on Colonel By Drive
- Mackenzie King Bridge, near the stairs on Colonel By Drive
- Bronson Avenue Bridge, near the stairs coming up from Colonel By Drive
- Bronson Avenue Bridge, near both the east and west stairs coming up from Queen Elizabeth Drive
- Underneath George Dunbar Bridge, between the stairs on Bronson Avenue
- Nicholas Street, at the stairs up to Mackenzie King Bridge
- Sparks Street between Elgin Street and Lyon Street North
- South side of the top of the hill at Acacia Lane
- 5512 Sand Road in Vars, ON