WHEREAS, the Regional Municipality of York and the City of Vaughan provides service excellence in its winter maintenance operations; and,
WHEREAS, sidewalk obstructions, blockages, and ice buildups are not unique to significant snow accumulations and are a regular occurrence during road clearing operations, and that this has been an ongoing issue throughout the region for the past 20 years; and,
WHEREAS, the Regional Municipality of York received a significant winter event on January 17, 2022 emphasizing current gaps in providing optimized winter maintenance services; and,
WHEREAS, the Region’s response to snow accumulation can include multiple rounds of snowplow clearing from the roadway, including a benching operation to remove snow from the curb line; and,
WHEREAS, as a result of road clearing operations, bridge deck and monolithic sidewalks will often have accumulation inhibiting the ability for pedestrians to safely pass; and,
WHEREAS, as a result of road clearing operations, snow placement causes ice buildup on sidewalks, as well as obstructions and blockages on egresses leading to inability to pedestrians to safety pass and sightline concerns; and,
WHEREAS, regional road sidewalks require a disproportionate amount of time to clear creating delays in clearing residential neighbourhoods; and,
WHEREAS, the Region has undertaken snow clearing operations on-boulevard bicycle lanes adjacent to regional roads; and,
WHEREAS, it is important and useful to improve the effectiveness of the City’s and Region’s operations, as part of our quest for continuous improvement in providing a demonstrated consistency of services to our residents, businesses, and emergency care centres.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that a review be undertaken regarding York Region assuming all winter maintenance including snow clearing on sidewalks adjacent to regional roads, with staff reporting back to the June 16, 2022 Committee of the Whole meeting, including:
a. Implementation plan, for delivery effective January 1, 2023;
b. Required service delivery policies and procedures; and,
c. The anticipated financial impact to the Region.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Clerk be directed to circulate this motion to all York Region municipalities for their review and consideration.