Winter Maintenance Frequently Asked Questions
Labour Disruption Notice: The City of Richmond Hill is currently experiencing a labour disruption. On November 22, CUPE 905 began strike action. While we continue working towards a negotiated agreement, some City services, such as winter maintenance, are affected. Please be advised that salting, plowing and/or shoveling of City roads, sidewalks, facility parking lots and entrances to municipal buildings may take longer than usual. In addition, windrow clearing service is suspended and will not be provided. For details, please visit RichmondHill.ca/LabourDisruption.
The following are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the City's winter maintenance operations.
Roads
The City maintains 1,100 lane km of roads.
| When does road plowing begin? |
| Road plowing begins once 5+cm of snow has accumulated. Our goal is to maintain roads so they are safe and passable. Some snow and/or slush may remain in places.
For winter maintenance updates, visit and subscribe to RichmondHill.ca/WinterUpdates and/or follow us on Twitter/X @myRichmondHill. |
| When does the City declare a 'Winter Event' and what does it mean? |
| When 5+cm of snow is expected within the next 24 hours, the City will declare a 'Winter Event' and on-street parking is prohibited until winter operations have ended. The Winter Event takes effect in advance of any snowfall.
Subscribe to RichmondHill.ca/WinterUpdates to receive Winter Event notifications. Temporary parking permits during Winter EventsWhen a 'Winter Event' is declared, temporary on-street parking permits are not valid for on-street parking. During this time, you can park at select City-owned facilities if you cannot arrange alternative off-street parking. Please ensure that the temporary parking permit is displayed clearly on your vehicle’s dash. A list of select City-owned facilities can be found at RichmondHill.ca/ParkingPermits. |
| How long will it take for the snow plow to come to my street? |
| Primary (main) roads are cleared first, followed by secondary (neighbourhood) roads. We aim to complete road clearing operations within 16 hours after the end of a snowfall. Times may vary due to snowfall amounts, length of the storm, heavy traffic, etc. Watch the video below to learn more about road plowing operations. |
| The snow plow just went by. Why did it only clear one side of my street? |
| Our plows follow set routes. They hug the right curb and only make right turns to avoid leaving snow piles in intersections. That’s why they often clear each side of the same street at a different time. |
| Why is there a snow plow driving through my neighbourhood with the plow blade up? |
| There could be a number of reasons for this. The plow may be travelling to the beginning of its route, applying salt to the road or on its way back to the Operations Centre to reload with salt. |
| I think the road plow missed my street |
| Crews take extra care to ensure no streets are missed and may still be out clearing the snow.
We aim to clear all roads within 16 hours after the end of a snowfall. If it has been 16 hours since the snow stopped and you think your street may have been missed or needs additional service, contact Access Richmond Hill at access@richmondhill.ca, 905-771-8800 or through our online customer service portal. |
| Who maintains major routes like Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue? |
York Region is responsible for maintaining Regional roads, including:
View a map of Richmond Hill's Regional Roads. Contact York Region about concerns related to these Regional roads or call the 24-hour dispatch service at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 5200. |
Sidewalks
The City maintains nearly 750km of sidewalks.
| When does sidewalk plowing begin? |
| Sidewalk plowing begins once 5+cm of snow has accumulated or sooner if required.
For winter maintenance updates, visit and subscribe to RichmondHill.ca/WinterUpdates and/or follow us on Twitter/X @myRichmondHill. |
| I think the sidewalk plow missed my street |
| Crews take extra care to ensure no sidewalks are missed and may still be out clearing the snow.
We aim to clear all sidewalks within 14 hours after the end of a snowfall. If it has been 14 hours since the snow stopped and you think your sidewalk may have been missed or needs additional service, contact Access Richmond Hill at access@richmondhill.ca, 905-771-8800 or through our online customer service portal. |
|
Sidewalks in my neighbourhood don’t look like they’ve been fully cleared yet |
| Heavy snow, strong winds/drifting snow, cars overhanging sidewalks, road plowing overflow and lack of snow storage space can all create challenges for snow clearing operations. At times, it may take multiple rounds of plowing to clear sidewalks.
If it has been 14 hours since the snow stopped and you think your sidewalk needs additional service, contact Access Richmond Hill at access@richmondhill.ca, 905-771-8800 or through our online customer service portal. In some circumstances, such as when we’ve had a very heavy snowfall, the City may also need to deploy sidewalk clearing tractors with specialized snow blower attachments to effectively clear the sidewalks. These operations may take longer than usual to complete. |
| How can I report damage to my lawn by the snow plow? |
| The City makes every effort to minimize damage to lawns during winter operations. You can report lawn damage to Access Richmond Hill at access@richmondhill.ca, by phone at 905-771-8800 or through our online customer service portal. Your service request will be forwarded to Operations staff for review and inspection. Repairs take place in the spring. |
Windrows
The City provides snow windrow clearing service for 50,000+ local, residential driveways. A snow windrow is the pile of snow left at the bottom of a driveway after a snowplow has cleared the road.
| When does windrow clearing begin? |
| Windrow clearing begins two hours after road plows begin their routes. We aim to clear all windrows within 13 hours after the snow stops falling.
For winter maintenance updates, visit and subscribe to RichmondHill.ca/WinterUpdates and/or follow us on Twitter/X @myRichmondHill. Watch the video to learn how you can support windrow clearing operations. |
| How much of the end of my driveway does the City clear? |
| We aim to clear a minimum of one car width of the driveway at the curb, so a car can pass through. |
| Does the City clear the windrow left behind by the sidewalk plow? |
| No. Windrows created by sidewalk clearing operations are not part of the windrow clearing service. |
| I think the windrow plow missed my street |
| Crews take extra care to ensure no streets/driveways are missed and may still be out clearing windrows.
We aim to clear all windrows within 13 hours after the end of a snowfall. If it has been 13 hours since the snow stopped and you think your street may have been missed, contact Access Richmond Hill at access@richmondhill.ca, 905-771-8800 or through our online customer service portal. |
| The windrow plow came to my street, but missed my driveway |
| There may be a number for reasons for this, including parked cars, waste bins, landscape features and/or sporting equipment blocking access to the snow windrow. You can submit a service request for staff to investigate by contacting Access Richmond Hill at access@richmondhill.ca, 905-771-8800 or through our online customer service portal. |
| Does the City clear windrows on Regional roads? |
| York Region is responsible for maintaining Regional roads. Windrow service is not provided. |
| Can I opt out of the City's windrow clearing service? |
| Yes. If you do not wish to receive the City’s snow windrow clearing service, you can opt out. You will need to submit an opt-out request every year before the start of the winter season. Learn more at RichmondHill.ca/SnowWindrow. |
Canada Post Community Mailboxes
| Who is responsible for clearing snow around community mailboxes? |
| Canada Post is responsible for clearing the snow around the mailboxes and making them accessible. If you have an issue to report about your community mailbox, including snow clearing activities, contact Canada Post online via canadapost.ca/support or by calling 1-866-607-6301. |
Bus stops and shelters
| Who is responsible for clearing snow around bus stops and shelters? |
| York Region Transit is responsible for maintaining bus stops and shelters. |