VAUGHAN LAUNCHES ANNUAL WINTER ROAD MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS

Snow clearing operations

The City of Vaughan has launched its annual winter road maintenance operations to keep the City streets and sidewalks safe and accessible. The public can access information on this program by visiting the 'Frosty Facts' page on the City's website at www.vaughan.ca. It includes information such as ploughing maps and schedules.

"Our Public Works Department has always done a tremendous job in difficult conditions," said Mayor Michael Di Biase. "Mother Nature can be unpredictable, but our staff is always ready to meet the challenge and make our communities safer."

Salting and snow clearing operations on roads follow a priority system with high-volume primary roads being first, low-volume secondary roads and cul-de-sacs second, and rear laneways third. When salting becomes ineffective, usually after five centimetres or two inches of snow have accumulated on the roadway, the ploughing of roads and sidewalks begins. Sand is applied to any primary rural gravel roads. In addition to reacting when storm events take place, Public Works staff proactively monitors weather forecasts, and patrol the City's streets from December to April checking road and sidewalk conditions.

For the fourth consecutive year, City of Vaughan Council has approved the use of alternative de-icing materials for winter road maintenance that minimize the impact on the environment.

The alternative product is made from road salt mixed with magnesium chloride and food-grade molasses. The molasses coats the materials, helping the mixture to remain on the pavement, and prevents the product from scattering or bouncing off the roadway when applied.

The product can work at much lower temperatures than road salt and leaves a slight residue that promotes quick melting of subsequent snow or ice.

"The City is continually looking for ways to save financially and lessen impacts on our environment," said Mayor Di Biase. "This product achieves both those goals and we will continue to seek out other alternative de-icing products to support the City's commitment to environmental stewardship."

The City has also recently entered into a partnership with Pelmorex, Canada's leading independent weather company and the owner of the Weather Network, to provide a Road Weather Information Service (RWIS). This consists of an automated weather reporting station and special sensors embedded in the road and on a nearby tower to collect information on weather conditions on and near the road. This assists in predicting road surface conditions. Maintenance crews can use this information to determine if road treatment is necessary, when and what type of de-icing mixtures to use, and how much is required.

The RWIS provides two major benefits. It enables Public Works crews to treat roads in advance of icing conditions and it reduces the overall amount of road salt used.

This station also provides Public Works staff with information on a number of atmospheric conditions including air and dew point temperatures, wind speed and direction, air pressure, precipitation rate and type, and snow accumulation and depth. The sensors embedded in the road can record surface and sub-grade road temperatures, surface condition, freeze point and the presence and concentration of road salt.

The City's RWIS station is located on Martin Grove Road, south of Highway 7.

The City's winter related bylaws work in conjunction with the road maintenance program to ensure safe and efficient travelling.

Vehicles that are left on the road during salting and ploughing operations will be tagged, towed, or both, by police and City bylaw officers. Winter-related bylaws prohibits the parking of vehicles on any street in the City between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. This helps to improve salting and snowploughing services and keeps roads clear for emergency vehicles.

Residents are required to clear any snow and ice from the public sidewalk abutting their property within 24 hours after a snowfall and are prohibited from depositing it on a roadway. This not only creates potentially dangerous conditions, but it is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act. During heavy periods of snow, the City operates a sidewalk snowploughing program.

For safety reasons, do not allow children to play where snow is piled at the side of the road or in the centre of cul-de-sacs and courts. Motorists are reminded to reduce their speed to suit road conditions, and not to follow snowploughs and salt spreaders too closely.

For more information contact:

City roads -City of Vaughan Public Works Department at 905-832-8562

Regional roads - Region of York Transportation and Works Department at 905-764-6346 ext. 5200

Provincial highways - Ministry of Transportation provincial highways at 416-235-5462 or visit www.mto.gov.on.ca to access the COMPASS traffic cameras

407/ETR - 407/ETR Highway Operations Control Room at 905-264-5380

Snow clearing operations

Special sensors embedded in road (foreground) help to collect valuable weather-related information

Road sensors can record surface and sub-grade temperatures, surface conditions,
the freeze point, and the presence and concentration of road salt

Road Weather Information Service (RWIS) is an automated weather reporting station that
collects weather data from sensors on the tower and others embedded in the road

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