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Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario
Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Pickering clears municipal streets by assigned routes.
Key information
Pickering clears municipal streets by assigned routes. Urban and rural response targets differ, and highways, Regional Roads and some federal roads have separate operators.
On this page
How the service works
A response target measures completion of an operation over its service area. It is not an arrival appointment for your street. Cleanup can continue for up to 48 hours after a snow event, and another storm can require crews to return to higher-priority work.
The correct operator matters when reporting a road that appears untouched. Use municipal route maps for city roads, Durham’s winter service for Regional Roads and Ontario 511 for highways. The city maps identify federally managed rural roads rather than assigning every road inside the city to municipal crews.
Sources: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Compare the options
| Area | Storm up to 4 inches | Storm up to 8 inches |
|---|---|---|
| South urban area | 13 hours | 24 hours |
| North rural area | 20 hours | 30 hours |
Sources: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Compare the numbers
- South urban area13 hours
- North rural area20 hours
Sources: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
What to prepare
- Municipal salt route: about four to six hours.
- Municipal plow route: about six to 13 hours.
- Main and hand-route sidewalks are cleared first.
- Secondary sidewalks follow main routes.
- Pathways and walkways follow secondary routes.
- Post-storm cleanup may continue for up to 48 hours.
Sources: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Steps to use the service
- Identify the operator
Check whether the street is municipal, Regional, provincial or federally managed.
- Check the route
Use the city map to see sidewalk priority and rural road responsibility.
- Allow for the storm
Read the area target as a general condition-based target, not a fixed arrival time.
Sources: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Eligibility and local rules
When does the city normally start plowing?
Staff usually choose plowing at 75 millimetres, about three inches, of snowfall. Conditions determine the actual response; this is not a promise that each street is plowed as soon as it reaches that depth.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
What are the south urban targets?
For storms up to four inches, the city’s general target is complete salting/plowing within 13 hours. For up to eight inches, it is within 24 hours, depending on storm severity.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
What are the north rural targets?
The general targets are 20 hours for storms up to four inches and 30 hours for up to eight inches. Rural service can include sanding as well as salting and plowing.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Using the service
Why can clearing take longer?
Heavy snow, freezing rain and peak traffic can extend routes. Drivers also need rest after the applicable driving-hours limit; the city cannot run the same driver without rest indefinitely.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Does the city prepare before snow arrives?
When snow is expected within 48 hours, sodium chloride is applied to selected main roads to reduce bonding of snow and ice to pavement.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
How do salting and plow routes differ?
A salt route normally takes about four to six hours. A plow route takes about six to 13 hours. Salt trucks go to paved roads when snow has covered and stuck to them.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
What happens on rural gravel roads?
Staff monitor and plow them as needed. They are sanded when warranted, rather than being treated as paved salt routes.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Exceptions and help
When are sidewalks cleared?
Usually after snowfall stops, except during large storms. Main and hand-route sidewalks come first, secondary sidewalks next, and pathways/walkways after those.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Who clears Kingston Road or Bayly Street?
The Region of Durham handles Regional Roads, including Kingston Road and Bayly Street. Provincial highways use Ontario’s winter-maintenance system. Some federally managed roads are identified on the city’s rural maps.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
How do I identify the route or report a federal-road concern?
Use the city Winter Operations Map for municipal sidewalk priorities. Transport Canada’s on-site agent BGIS handles some roads; its National Service Call Centre is 1-888-526-5673. Ontario 511 supplies highway conditions and plow information.
Source: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information
Official contacts and forms
Sources: Snow-plowing priorities and street responsibilities in Pickering, Ontario official information