Item - 2025.IE26.7

The Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services recommends that:

1.  Infrastructure and Environment Committee receive this report for information.

This report responds to a request from City Council to report on a plan to require select private property owners to clear the municipal sidewalk abutting their property, and to provide a status on modernizing PlowTO. This report also responds to a request from the Infrastructure and Environment Committee for information regarding moving snow from private property onto public property.

Under City of Toronto bylaws, private property owners are required to clear snow and ice from municipal sidewalks where the City has not assumed the responsibility. 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.

There are no financial impacts resulting from the recommendations in this report.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the Financial Impact Section as presented in this report.