Toronto readying snow removal operations

Toronto is ready for a big dump of snow if the city gets hit with a storm sooner than is typically expected, officials say.

“We’re prepared this year for whatever happens,” Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, chair of the public works committee, told the city’s annual winter preparedness news conference Thursday.

After one of the harshest winters in recent memory, the city is confident its fleet of 600 snow plows, 300 sidewalk plows and 200 salt trucks will keep the roads and sidewalks safe for the travelling public, he said.

The city’s first priority is to keep the main roads clear for TTC and emergency vehicles. “Keeping people moving efficiently and effectively on our roads is our number one priority.”

As soon as the snow begins to fall, salt trucks head to the main roads and expressways before moving to local roads, he said outlining the city’s winter game plan. When 2.5 centimeters has accumulated, the snow plows go out on the expressways and plowing begins on arterial roads when there is five centimetres of snow on the ground.

When the snow stops and if accumulation has reached eight centimeters, local road plowing begins.

“We want to remind residents again it takes time to clear all the local streets,” Minnan-Wong said, adding it takes between 14 and 16 hours to clear all the roads in the city. Residents should only call 311 with “urgent” winter related calls — not to ask when their street will be plowed.

The city will clear snow from sidewalks “where our equipment can do the job. But in the downtown and central part of the city we ask residents and property owners to clear the snow within 12 hours of a snowfall,” he said.

Residents can help with the snow removal effort by refraining from driving, using public transit if possible and keeping parked cars off the streets. “We also don’t want you to push snow back on the road after we’ve just taken it off. It’s dangerous …and hampers the work of the plows.”

There were a record 1,400 watermain breaks between January and May this year. The city is currently spending $110 million to improve the watermain distribution system.

Toronto has among the highest standards in Ontario in terms of the winter maintenance services it offers to the public, said Stephen Buckley, general manger of transportation services.

Buckley said Toronto has offered to help Buffalo, N.Y., dig out after the city was buried by snow. Toronto has not heard back, Buckley said.