Following this past weekend’s winter storm, the Roads and Parking Services team continues cleanup efforts throughout the city. Next up, snow removal operations! Think about this for minute: Ottawa has received over 116 centimetres of snow since mid-January and almost 70 centimeters fell over a 5-day period last week. That’s a lot of snow to remove, and the team is ready to tackle it, one curb metre at a time. It’s important to note that given the high volume of snow we have received, removal will take longer than usual.
Snow removal operations begin today!
The Roads and Parking Services team is preparing for snow removal operations throughout the City. The focus will be in Business Improvement Areas and business districts, and where snowbanks have significantly increased on some arterial and collector roads. Snow removal operations will also begin on urban residential streets and bridge decks, and crews will be addressing sightline concerns at intersections and corners.
Snow removal is a planned event that requires us to physically remove snow from the side of the road and transport it to one of our snow storage facilities. Snow removal is different than snow clearing, which occurs as snow is falling or immediately after a snowfall, to move the snow from the roadway to the side of the road or to the City’s right of way.
In some communities, crews are able to cast the snow from the roadway onto the City’s right of way and store it there. This is a safe operation which allows us to open roads without hauling snow away. Residents will know casting is taking place when they see the large blowers blowing snow off roads and sidewalks and onto City greenspace. Following our snow removal operations, a sidewalk machine is deployed to clear and treat the sidewalks in the area to ensure it remains safe for travel.
Residents can expect to see teams out in the community placing temporary ‘No Parking’ signs in snowbanks along the side of the roadway to prepare for snow removal. Residents will know it is taking place when they see temporary no parking signage in their community, and/or line-ups of large trucks with snow being blown into the boxes.
While staff are engaged in snow removal activities, residents are asked to observe the posted signage and to remove their vehicles from the roadway as per the signage - this includes vehicles with residential parking permits. Failing to do so may result in your vehicle being towed. Towed vehicles are relocated to an adjacent street where snow removal is not scheduled that day or has already been completed. Residents may call 3-1-1 for assistance in locating their vehicle.
While the operations are exciting to watch, we ask all residents, and especially children, to give the vehicles space to do their work. Please stay a safe distance back.
Next steps
The Roads and Parking Services team will be working hard towards removing snowbanks and widening the roadways to make the transportation network safe and passable for everyone.
