Response to Council Directions on Sidewalk Clearing Requirements and the Status of Modernizing PlowTO

Under the City's current levels of service for sidewalk snow clearing, the City begins clearing snow from sidewalks once snow accumulation reaches 2 centimetres. Shifting the responsibility for the clearing of snow and ice from municipal sidewalks to corporate owners would be challenging, as outlined in this report, and may have the unintended consequence of reducing, rather than improving, sidewalk accessibility during winter events. City of Toronto bylaws also prohibit pushing, plowing, or otherwise moving snow from private property onto City roadways (including cycling infrastructure), sidewalks, and laneways. The City's winter communications strategy will encourage residents and businesses to voluntarily help keep sidewalks clear, while also reinforcing that snow must not be moved onto City property. For PlowTO, Transportation Services, together with the Technology Services division, have taken steps to address reporting issues identified during the February 2025 major snow event. This resulted in inaccuracies in sidewalk plow locations being displayed on PlowTO. This has now been rectified, and testing has shown that sidewalk plows are now properly linked to PlowTO to provide accurate location updates. In addition, operational procedures are now in place to clarify plowing or salting for combination equipment to distinguish activities on the map. Alongside improved winter maintenance public communication initiatives, staff are also exploring operational and technology opportunities to enhance PlowTO so that the public has clearer, more complete information on winter maintenance activity and when service can generally be expected.