It’s looking like winter may be in the rear-view mirror, but it’s still March, nighttime lows are well below zero and a winter weather event could pop up at any time. One thing we know for sure, the season will change, and the Roads and Parking Services team will be ready to spring into action!
Getting ready for street sweeping operations
Over the past couple of weeks, you may have seen our street sweeping equipment in some neighborhoods as staff have been testing equipment and finalizing operational plans in preparation of the spring cleanup of our transportation network. This week, our crews will begin street sweeping some arterial roads (weather permitting) and cleaning up sidewalks, bus stops and medians throughout the city using sidewalk sweepers, leaf blowers and hand brooms.
How is city-wide street sweeping completed?
City-wide street sweeping is done in phases:
- Sidewalks, bus stop pads and medians are cleaned first by a variety of methods using sidewalk sweepers, leaf blowers, flusher trucks and hand brooms.
- A sidewalk sweeper will work in the area first, pushing grit, debris and dust onto the roadway. A vacuum sweeper or mechanical sweeper truck then picks up the majority of grit, debris, small particles and dust removing it from the road.
- This operation might be repeated several times to ensure a clean surface. If vehicles are parked on the street, the unswept area is noted and crews will return to sweep that portion at a later date.
Street Sweeping in Concentrated Areas
In urban neighbourhoods that support continuous on-street parking year-round, we complete what is known as concentrated street sweeping. Concentrated street sweeping operations are an important and necessary requirement in the urban neighbourhoods to efficiently move through the streets. Unlike city-wide street sweeping operations, parking restrictions are in effect in neighbourhoods where concentrated street sweeping is underway. Residents are required to move their cars to allow street sweeping operations to be completed, and signage will be posted to alert residents when these operations are scheduled to take place.
When to expect operations to begin
The Roads and Parking Services team continues to monitor the forecast and meet regularly to determine the right timing for cleanup, street sweeping operations and spring maintenance activities to begin. More information regarding the commencement of concentrated street sweeping and city-wide street sweeping will be shared in the coming days.
As the seasons are in a period of transition, the team must also be ready for a winter weather event. March is an unpredictable month and there remains a possibility of snow or freezing rain in the forecast. The team continues to balance what is needed to respond to winter weather, while preparing for spring maintenance.
A peek at potholes
Crews continue their work on temporary pothole repairs. Since January, pothole crews have been working on temporary repairs, over 700 crews have been assigned and filled over 46,900 potholes! This is an increase of 30% compared to last year where the number of potholes filled between January 1 and March 18, 2023, was 35,983.
For residents wishing to report a pothole, a service request can be created online.
