Snow plow fleet

Snow Removal

Richmond Hill plows and sands municipal sidewalks during the winter months. We aim to clear all sidewalks 14 hours after a snowfall. We also plow the streets after major snowfalls. Residents can help staff get this job done by doing the following:

Not parking vehicles over or near sidewalks, so the path is clear for plows and sanding equipment
Not parking on the road during plowing activity
Not shovelling snow back onto the road or sidewalks
Not placing anything within one meter of a road, curb or sidewalk that can become hidden and cause issues for plow operators
Clearing the snow from around fire hydrants to make them accessible in case of an emergency
Wearing proper footwear to prevent slips and falls

Call 905-771-8800 for urgent issues about snow removal.

Learn more about winter maintenance activity updates and seasonal safety.

RHPlows

RHPlows is a new online app that allows you to track the snow removal activities in your neighbourhood. It shows you where our road and sidewalk plows are working and where they've been. It also provides other important details, like plow-dash cam images and weather data from Environment Canada.

Why aren't the plows moving?

In some situations and depending on traffic conditions, road and sidewalk plows may appear to be stopped at times. There might be a temporary gap in communication from the vehicle. There is also a short delay before data is displayed online.

Who can I contact with questions/comments?

Please send your questions/comments to us through our Access Richmond Hill online portal. You can also contact Access Richmond Hill at 905-771-8800.

Of note, RHPlows displays information about Richmond Hill's municipal road and sidewalk plowing operations only. View the Local roads information below to see a map of the roads Richmond Hill maintains and Major routes to view the roads York Region clears. To improve routing efficiencies, winter maintenance operations give priority to main arterial roads and right-hand turns.

Local roads

Richmond Hill uses 23 snowplow and sanding units for winter maintenance and is responsible for more than 600 km of roads. During an average winter, staff responds to about 55 to 70 winter events each season.

Local roads are cleared of snow within 16 hours after the end of a winter storm. Primary roads are plowed and salted first. These are the streets leading in and out of neighbourhoods. Secondary roads are cleared after the primary roads.

Dead ends and wide bends are cleared within 24 hours after the end of a winter storm. It's important to keep these areas clear, because they can cause problems for other snow removal services.

View map of local roads

Note that roads not highlighted are secondary routes in Richmond Hill

Primary street plow map of Richmond Hill roads

On-street parking

On-street parking is not permitted during winter events, even if you have a temporary parking permit. This helps us ensure snow clearing is safe and efficient, and that emergency access is possible. Cars that are not removed from the street will be ticketed and/or towed.

Winter Parking Regulations

If your vehicle interferes with snow removal, you will be fined $75. Parking exemptions are not valid at the time of snow removal. Also note that, as per Richmond Hill's Parking By-law, the City may need to tow vehicles parked on roadways to ensure snow plows are able to clear City streets. For more information, call the City's By-law Division at 905 771-0198.

Winter parking regulations prohibit vehicle parking on municipal roads between the hours of 1 to 7 a.m from December 1 to March 31 for the purpose of performing winter maintenance activities. For more information, call Richmond Hill's Parking Enforcement Section at 905-771-8860.

Major routes

Major roads, such as Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street, are Regional roads that are maintained by York Region.

Regional roads

Regional roads in Richmond Hill include:

Yonge Street, Highway 7 to Bloomington Road (except for the area between Major Mackenzie Drive and Elgin Mills Road, which Richmond Hill maintains)

Bathurst Street, Highway 7 to Bloomington Road
Bayview Avenue, Highway 7 to Bloomington Road
Leslie Street, Highway 7 to Bloomington Road
Carrville Road, Bathurst Street to Yonge Street
16th Avenue, Yonge Street to Highway 404
Major Mackenzie, Bathurst Street to Highway 404
Elgin Mills Road, Bathurst Street to Highway 404
Gamble Road, Bathurst Street to Yonge Street
19th Avenue, Yonge Street to Leslie Street
Stouffville Road, Yonge Street to Highway 404
King Road, Bathurst Street to Yonge Street
Bloomington Road, Bathurst Street to Highway 404
Highway 7, Bathurst Street to Highway 404

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.

Provincial roads

The Express Toll Route (ETR) 407 passes through Richmond Hill. Call the ETR 407 at 1-888-407-0407 if you have any questions or concerns about this route.

You can also contact the Ministry of Transportation at 416-235-4686 or toll-free at 1-800-268-4686 for more information about provincial roads.

Additional information

Call our Inclement Weather Hotline at 905-771-5487 for information about Richmond Hill's recreational programs and facilities during winter events.

You can keep an eye on the weather in your area through the Weather Network or Environment Canada.

General safety

Prepare for emergencies and make sure you have a 72-hour emergency kit. There should be a kit for every member of your household and even for your pets.

Call the snow information line at 905-771-2525 for more information about winter maintenance.

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